


Ash's Adventure: Girls' Hunter Edition!

by SedaCassie



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Ash/harem - Freeform, Bondage, Consensual Underage Sex, F/F, F/M, Harem, Lemon, Masturbation, Parody, Sex Toys, Smut, Threesome - F/F/M, Underage Sex, look it's a kink fic what do you want from me, shota x loli, tags say it all you have been warned
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:34:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 165,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25515115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SedaCassie/pseuds/SedaCassie
Summary: An (abbreviated) retelling of Ash's quest to become a PokeMon master, only with some of the rules and concepts of the Girls' Hunter rom-hack incorporated. Yes, it's that kind of story.After thoroughly humiliating himself by oversleeping and missing out on his chance to get a starter Pokemon, Ash runs away from his town to be alone in his shame and misery. However, through a series in mishaps, misunderstanding, errors, tragedies, coincidences, and pure dumb luck, he ends up thrust into his adventure regardless, just...not in the manner he had anticipated. Throughout his journey, fun will be had, terror will be struck, and many familiar faces will come to join him on his adventure. Just...not in the roles they had been originally. And yet, Ash is still Ash, the hapless yet noble dumbass we all know and love.Gotta catch 'em all.
Relationships: Haruka | May/Kasumi | Misty, Haruka | May/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Hikari | Dawn/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Iris/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum, Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Serena
Comments: 98
Kudos: 157





	1. PokeMon, I (Can't) Choose You! Because I Overslept Like a Dumbass!

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, here's the skinny:
> 
> There exists a pornographic PokeMon rom-hack called PokeMon: Girls' Hunter edition, in which virtually all the trainers are girls, and it's somehow legal to catch them after defeating them and add them to your PokeMon party, after which they'll get a typing, moves, and can be used in battle like any other PokeMon. Yes, it is as delightfully dumb and proud of it as you might imagine. But it got me thinking: what if the PokeMon anime followed similar rules? 
> 
> This was the result.
> 
> ...
> 
> Look, you know what you're getting yourself into with this. Don't examine the logic too closely.

It was a bright and beautiful day, though it wouldn't be for long. The sky was clear blue, the air pleasantly warm, and the winds calm. It was the perfect summer day, a day to be spent outside swimming in the lake, running through the fields, walking through the forests, and just generally enjoying the outdoors. Deeper still, professional trainers were out searching for new acquisitions, training those they already had, or, if they were the sort to have laid aside old-fashioned moral scruples, engaging in…"other" activities with said acquisitions.

Unfortunately, that was soon to change. Soon the sky was going to darken as angry black clouds choked out the sunlight. Soon the winds' pleasant disposition would worsen, and they would grow in strength and ferocity. Soon rain would hammer down from the sky, thick enough to obscure the line of sight of anyone unlucky to be caught in the open. Soon lightning would crack across the horizon and thunder would boom. Soon wrath would be unleashed.

Of course, if anyone had bothered to check the weather report, then they would know this. And a lot of people had. Laundry and pets were being brought in, outings were rescheduled, and anyone who wasn't a traveling trainer too far from civilization to seek shelter was settling in to spend the day inside.

Unfortunately for the distraught young boy running from his small town with a face red from shame and angry tears in his eyes, he had failed to see if the pleasant weather would hold. He had been too upset.

It wasn't really his fault though. Well, okay, it _was,_ but he couldn't be blamed too harshly. Sure, easily avoidable mistakes had been made, but let's all cut him some slack; he was only ten years old, after all. Children that age always make mistakes, especially when they're too caught up with excitement, anger, or embarrassment to think clearly, and he had been all three. Then again, given his young age and lack of experience, one might consider this a sure sign that his plan to venture all by himself into the wide and wild world in hopes of seeking out dangerous creatures was probably a bad idea. After all, if he couldn't be trusted to show up on time for the most important day of his life, then he really ought to pursue a career less associated with frequent danger and exposure, such as golf-ball polisher, or door-hinge deruster. Though, let's be honest, he would probably find a way to endanger his life even then.

And it wasn't like he hadn't _tried_ to make it on time! He had set multiple alarms, just in case one failed to rouse him! Unfortunately, his dreams of adventure were so powerful that he somehow managed to destroy each and every one of them while he had slept, seizing them all in his sleep and hurling them against the wall. It would almost be impressive if it weren't so dumb.

Alas, what was done was done, and despite all of his precautions poor Ash Ketchum had overslept. As such, when he had arrived as Professor Oak's laboratory in hopes of receiving his starting Pokemon, all of them had already been claimed, up to and including the rumored "troublemaker" Pokemon that wasn't supposed to be handed out due to behavioral issues. As such, Ash had been left with nothing, his dreams of becoming a Pokemon League Champion dashed before they had even begun, and systematically dismantled by his own hand no less!

That would have been bad enough, but then _Gary_ had shown up!

Gary Oak, who had been Ash's best friend since the two of them could walk! Gary Oak, who had long ago promised that he and Ash would one day travel the world together and become co-champions! Gary Oak, who had been the person who had gotten Ash obsessed with Pokemon training in the first place, who had explained how it worked and how cool it was, who had proudly shown off his grandfather's many accolades and awards and talked about how cool it would be when he and Ash were just as celebrated for their exploits!

Gary Oak, who had over the course of the last year become more and more of a know-it-all jerk, who had gone on and on about how he was going to be the greatest Pokemon trainer in the world with no mention of Ash, who acted like he had never even known Ash and would routinely make fun of him with the other kids.

Gary Oak, who, due to him being Professor Oak's grandson, had gotten pick of the litter, claiming the coveted Squirtle as his own. Gary Oak, who couldn't act any more favored if he tried, had _also_ been gifted with his own car and an entire troupe of cheerleader PokeGirls to go with him! Ash still found the concept of PokeGirls to be weird and freaky, but couldn't Gary at least do the sporting thing and go catch his own?

Though given how the local girls kept fawning over him, he probably wouldn't even need to try. They'd probably just take off their clothes and jump into his human balls upon request.

Gross!

But of course, if all _that_ wasn't enough, Gary had to make a point to stop his car right next to Ash, taunt him for not showing up on time, show off _everything_ he had been gifted (seriously, were kids even _allowed_ to have PokeGirls?! Ash was pretty sure that they weren't!), and then speed off, leaving Ash choking on his stupid, noisy car's exhaust!

That had been bad enough. But as the smoke had cleared and Ash managed to stop coughing, he saw everyone else who had gathered at Professor Oak's lab looking at him, whispering and pointing, _laughing_ at him! There had been a professional trainer passing by accompanied by two PokeGirls, and though they had been practically naked and were being led along by a pair of leashes attached to collars around their necks, even they had seen and were laughing at him! _PokeGirls_ were laughing at him! That's how stupid he had looked.

So he had ran away. The shame had been too great, leaving him nothing to do but run like the stupid little kid that he was. He ran and he ran and he ran, until he was out of Pallet Town and into the open fields. Even then he kept going, running and running and running until he lost sight of the town.

When he finally felt that he had gone far enough, he found a large rock next to the forest border and collapsed against it to slide down to the grass. With no one around to see, he let the tears flow and flow.

Stupid! He had been so _stupid!_ He had everything planned out! Gary was going to get first pick of course, but Ash would still show up before everyone else! He would see what Gary picked, and choose the Pokemon that had a type advantage over it! Then he would train that Pokemon over and over and over until it evolved, so that by the time he even reached Viridian City, it would have already reached its final evolutionary state! He would see how Gary's scrawny little Squirtle measured up to full-fledged Venusaur!

But now, all of that was gone, and it had been his own fault. He was _never_ going to become a Pokemon trainer! He was _never_ going to leave Pallet Town! He was going to be stuck there, a worthless nobody, a _loser,_ who was going to be forced to watch as Gary gathered more and more powerful Pokemon, accumulated more and more beautiful girls, and won more and more accolades! Ash wasn't even going to be able to watch the tournaments anymore without having to see Gary's smug face sneering back at him from the TV!

And the worst of it was, he deserved it.

…

Though the weather was nice, and though it had been a very relaxing morning fishing on the bank of the river with one hand on her pole and the other down the front of her shorts, Misty was growing more and more uneasy.

It was something you learned to pick up on after spending enough time in the wild, the subtle cues in the wind and the temperature. Sometimes it felt like a raging storm came out of absolutely nowhere, but there were always signs, hard to pick out as they may be. And Misty was picking up several of them.

She didn't like the sudden dip in the wind's strength. She didn't like how it was suddenly just a few degrees warmer than it had been earlier. She didn't like how the hairs on her arm were standing on edge. There was a distinct tingle in the air, one that had nothing to do with the tingle in her groin, and that could only mean bad things.

Leaning back into the grass, Misty idly toyed with her clit as she looked up into the sky. It was still a beautiful blue with very few clouds, but that could change in mere minutes. She had considered bringing May out to enjoy the day, but that was looking like a bad idea.

(behind her, she heard the sound of an obnoxiously loud car speeding past. She ignored it)

Then she looked over to her pole, the line trailing into the lack. She scowled. Just as well; she hadn't been getting that many bites today. So far she had ended up only with one Goldeen (already had one) and two Magikarp (no). Though it was still midday, she might as well pack it in and try to find a hotel.

Sighing, she took her hand out of her shorts and got up to reel her line in. Maybe she ought to try the coast; you usually got a lot more variety there. Unfortunately, the coast also tended to be overfished, so anything good would probably already be snatched up by those with boats and-

"Hey there, girlie!"

Misty paused. Then she turned around.

There, on the stretch of road that ran by the river she had been fishing at, was the car she had heard earlier. It was a shiny red convertible, the kind that rich kids with over-indulgent parents drove around and likely wrecked on a monthly basis. Misty had seen many such cars parked in front of her gym whenever wealthy jerks popped in to woo her sisters and ignore the actual Gym Leader.

And inside the car was what could only be described as an _embarrassment._

Several young women were piled unsafely into the back seat, most of them sitting on the back of the seat instead of being buckled up, while another wearing a blue cap and sunglasses was driving the car. The ones in the back all had pom-poms, which they were waving while chanting.

" _Gary! Gary! How great is he? Very!"_

And actually seated in the back seat with the cheerleaders all around him was the spoiled snot in question, presumably named Gary. He was roughly about her age, maybe a little older, with spiky brown hair, a tailored blue shirt, and some kind of charm on a necklace.

"Out here all alone?" he called down to her. "Isn't that dangerous? Don't you know that there's Pokemon in the tall grass?"

With that, he tossed a pokeball into the air and caught it between two fingers. Then he thrust it out at her, like she would be impressed. "Ha!"

Misty stared. Okay, rich kid? Check. Obnoxious? Check. Rude? Check? Overly arrogant over possessing a single Pokemon? Check.

No doubt about it. It was one of those overly privileged trainers on his first day, the sort who slept in thousand-dollar tents and dined on only the finest of canned goods. Always so overly sure of their skills as a trainer that they would fall apart while battling anyone with even the slightest bit of grit and blame everyone and everything for the loss. Misty had also encountered plenty of his type before. If there was one perk to having her sisters around, it was the look on smartass trainers' faces when they realized that the true Gym Leader wasn't one of the famous Sensational Sisters, but instead their scrappy little sister. The look they had when she beat them was even better.

"So I'm thinking that you ought to go with me, the great Gary Oak! I'll be sure to take care of you!"

" _Two! Four! Six! Eight! Traveling with Gary is really great!"_

What Misty didn't get was his cheerleading squad. They were obviously PokeGirls, but they were all fully clothed, when most PokeGirls tended not to wear much more than bondage ropes, mouth gags, and buttplugs. Furthermore, he looked _way_ too young to be openly having PokeGirls of his own. Kids their age could become trainer, yes, but _only_ of Pokemon. Catching girls was against the rules until you were at least sixteen, and then _only_ if they were defeated in a Pokemon battle. There were exceptions of course (Misty ought to know), but those tended to at least be smart enough not to flaunt it like this idiot was. No doubt his parents used the cheerleaders attire to convince the authorities to look the other way. _Oh no,_ they had likely said. _Those aren't PokeGirls! See how much clothing they're wearing! They're companions, going to cheer our son on!_ After that, they had probably added weight to their argument by adding bills to the authorities' hands.

As such, he was starting off with not only his own harem, but a full team as well. If Misty had a little more time, she probably could even name the girls' various types too. She bet anything that there wasn't a single repeat.

"So, what do you say? Wanna ride with the greatest Pokemon trainer alive? It'll be…an adventure!"

" _Gary is the king! Best at everything!"_

Misty's face hardened. She stuck her foot beneath her bike where it lay and levered it up. Another rule was that minors like herself were _not_ supposed to be caught, except for exceptionally rare special circumstances (which she was also all-to-aware of). But Gary's demeanor showed that he did not care, that he was used to getting what he wanted and did not take no for an answer. That made him exactly the sort of person she loved to show up at her gym and the last sort of person she wanted to encounter in the wild.

"Yeah," she said. "Actually, I think I'll pass. Sorry, but getting into that car doesn't seem all that safe. Or hygienic."

Immediately the smug grin on his face disappeared, replaced with a dark scowl.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" he demanded.

" _You must be empty in the head, so take back what you said!"_

Retracting her pole and sticking it onto its rack, Misty mounted her bike. "Sorry, but I don't come cheap like they do! Try Celadon City if you need even more skanks!"

And with that, she took off, pedaling as fast as she could in the opposite direction.

Behind her, she heard Gary yelling and his car's wheels squealing, while the cheerleaders continued their chants.

" _Hey! Hey! Don't run away! Or we swear you will rue this day!"_

…

As Ash sat there weeping, a shadow fell across him.

"Hey, kid!"

Blinking away his tears, Ash looked up.

Standing over him was a man, one that looked to be in his mid-twenties. He was tanned, rugged, and athletically built, wearing a brown traveling vest over a dark green shirt, with what looked like a Sharpedo tooth hanging from a silver chain around his neck. He had on a wide-brimmed outback hat lined with Persian teeth around the brim and sunglasses, while his cheeks were patterned with dark stubble. A Braviary sat on his shoulder, idly preening its feathers.

And standing on either side of the man were two young women, both practically naked, both of them pressing their bodies against his. One had _very_ pale skin, with glossy black hair that was cut short, black lipstick, and black eyeshadow. She wore shiny black boots that went up to her knees, black stockings that went up to her thighs, velvet black gloves that went up to her elbows, a lacy black corset tied tightly around her stomach, and nothing else. Her boobs were squishing against the guy's upper arm and the side of his chest, with the one nipple Ash could see also colored black. Even the tiny puff of hair sticking out from between her legs was dyed black. On her shoulder sat a disinterested Murkrow.

In contrast, the other girl had _very_ dark skin and long hair that fell all the way down her back. But though she wore basically the same "outfit," if it could be called that, as the other girl, it was all in white, as was her hair. As were her nipples. As was the hair between her legs. An oblivious-looking Swablu was perched on her shoulders.

Both girls were also wearing thin collars in their respective color schemes around their necks, each attached to a thin leash of the same color, and the ends of both leashes were held in the guy's hand, which was cupped possessively around the girl in black's butt, while his other hand was cradling the butt of the girl in white.

It was the trainer Ash had seen earlier, along with the PokeGirls that had laughed at him. They had followed him.

"That was some rough luck, huh kid?" the trainer said. "Sorry 'bout making fun of you. That wasn't cool."

"We're sorry!" both girls said at the exact same time, in the exact same tone of voice.

"Braviary!" declared bird in question.

Ash hastily scrambled to his feet. "Uh, it's fine, it's fine!" he said, and then internally winced. He wiped his face, straightened out his shirt, and tried to look nonchalant. "I mean, it's no big deal, right?"

The Murkrow eyed him in contempt. "Murk," it snorted. Even Ash could tell that that was Pokemon for "Bullshit."

"Heh." The trainer shook his head. "Let me guess: you've been wanting to be a Pokemon trainer your entire life, and this was you big chance, but you showed up too late and got nothing. And the prick in the car is someone you've really been wanting to show up, am I right?"

"Ah, who cares about him!" Ash said with a dismissive wave. "He's just some nobody that no one cares about."

Both the PokeGirls started giggling. The trainer frowned, and squeezed both of their butt cheeks, which made them stop. "A nobody who has a car despite not being old enough to get a learner's permit," he said. "A nobody who has a full team of PokeGirls despite still being in elementary school."

"What! No!" Ash said with a laugh that even he knew sounded fake. "They're not PokeGirls! I mean, they had clothes on and everything!"

"We're wearing clothes," pointed out the girl in white.

"Swa?" The Swablu shook out its plumage and puffed up.

"I…" Ash had absolutely no response to that that wouldn't make him sound even stupider than he already did, so he said nothing.

"Uh-huh," the trainer said, not sounding the least bit convinced. "Let me guess: his daddy is someone with enough money to give his darling baby boy anything he wants, including first pick of the year's starters and getting the authorities to look the other way when he heads out with a bunch of PokeGirls, as if that was what being a trainer is all about."

"What a jerk!" the PokeGirls both added.

Ash scowled. "Yeah, and he's always acting like that makes him better than me! 'Oh, look at me, I'm Gary, I'm too good to hang out with my best friend! Oh, look at me, I'm Gary, my grandpa's a famous Pokemon professor, so that makes me famous too, even though I haven't done anything! Oh, look at me, I'm Gary, I'm going to be League Champion, even though I never even had a Pokemon battle before! Oh, look at me, I'm Gary, I'm too good to walk, even though you can't even hunt for Pokemon in a stupid car'!"

"Awww," the PokeGirls said in sympathy.

"Tch, sounds rough," the trainer said. "Wait, that kid is Oak's grandson? _That_ explains a thing or two."

…

On the one hand, Misty had the advantage having the entire terrain at her disposal, while Gary Oak could only drive his car on the road. Also, her bike was far more maneuverable than his car. And she had a head start, whereas he was going to have to turn his car all the way around in order to give chase.

Unfortunately, with the river at her right and the road at her left, she could only go straight ahead for the time being. Also, having to pedal through the grass was slowing her down.

Also, he had a _car._ She was on a _bike!_

This could be a problem.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before she heard the roar of the convertible's engine as it started after her, and over that were those stupid cheerleaders.

" _Stop! Stop! Stop right now! Pull over and let us catch you, you stupid cow!"_

Misty's eye twitched, both at the insult and the awful flow of their chant, but she kept pedaling.

"Where do you think _you're_ going?" Gary called after her. "You really think you can get away from me?"

Maybe not, but she was pretty sure she could slow him down. Keeping one hand on the handlebar, she slipped the other to her waist, where a handful of pokeballs were attached to her belt.

Then something hot and bright sizzled past her head.

Gulping, Misty ducked her head. That had been a fireball, a bonafide ember attack! But that meant-

Misty glanced over her shoulder. The cheerleaders had put away the pom-poms, and were now visibly glowing, each one a different color.

 _Blue, green, red, purple, brown, and yellow,_ Misty mentally categorized. _Water-type, fire-type, psychic-type, rock-type, and electric-type. Yup._ Despite the urgency of the situation, Misty couldn't help but wonder at the typing of the driver. Given her current luck it would probably be dragon.

Misty lowered her body and pedaled faster. She was _not_ about to be caught by some self-centered snob and be forced to shake a pom-pom!

But there was a problem.

Up ahead, the road curved around, cutting right across the river via bridge and, by extension, her path. Seeing this, the car suddenly sped up, speeding right past her.

It came to a stop in the center of the bridge, and now Gary and his entourage were watching her, waiting.

Could she turn around? Maybe, but the car would just flip around too and be after her again.

Then she saw the cheerleads all standing up, their fists glowing. From there vantage point they would have no trouble shooting her down.

Right. Plan…F then.

Before she reached the bridge, Misty abruptly hit the bike's brakes. Its momentum kept it moving forward, causing it to flip over its front tire. Before it could, she pushed off from the pedals, kicked at the seat, and dove right into the river.

…

"Yeah, and he's supposed to be my friend," Ash complained. "But lately he's been acting like he's embarrassed to even know me!"

"Hmm." The trainer released the girl in white's butt to rub his chin in thought, which earned him a hurt look from the PokeGirl in question. "Well, you know what you need to do, then? Show him up! Become a better trainer! Earn those badges! Kick his ass in the tournament!"

"But how?" Ash said. "I couldn't even get a starter! I've got nothing to work with!"

"So?" the trainer said with a shrug. "Who cares if you didn't get a fancy new starter? There's lots of other ways to get your first! Plenty of kids have a Rattata or a Caterpie that they caught on their own. Which ain't much, but you gotta start somewhere!"

Ash bowed his head in shame. "I don't have any pokeballs," he muttered.

"Then buy some; they ain't expensive."

"I…" Ash's shoulders slumped. "I spent all money on alarm clocks."

"You…what?" Then, before Ash could explain, the trainer shook his head. "You know what? I don't want to know. Okay, guess what? Today's your luck day. Here."

The trainer reached his hand into a pouch on his belt and pulled out a handful of tiny red-and-white spheres. He tossed them to Ash.

Surprised, Ash managed to catch a couple of them, but the others slipped through his fingers. He hastily gathered them up. "Pokeballs?" he said.

"Go out and find yourself some cute little thing," the trainer said. "Then train that one up until she's strong enough for you to get another, and then another, and before you know it you'll have a rhythm."

"Wow!" It was honestly the nicest thing anyone had done for him, stranger or otherwise. "Thanks, Mister!"

"No prob. Just don't waste them!" Returning his hand to the girl in white's butt, he headed off, both PokeGirls walking in sync. "See yah, kid! And take care of that other little issue before you get to work! Can't afford to be distracted!"

"Byyyyeeee!" the PokeGirls called.

"Brave!" added the Braviary. The other two birds didn't seem to care or even notice.

Ash waved after them. Wow, what a guy! What a pal! To go and help a complete strange like that! Ash resolved that once he had become established as a trainer, he would also strive to help starry-eyed beginners as well!

See, _that_ what a trainer was supposed to look like, so cool and confident and friendly and-

Ash's eyes dipped lower, down to where the trainer's hands were resting on his PokeGirls' butts.

-and so, so lucky, with girls hanging off of him like that. Wait, not lucky! He had earned it! Just like Ash was going to earn it!

But what was that other thing that Ash had to take care? That thing that would be so distracting?

Then Ash glanced down, and his face flushed with embarrassment. The front of his pants were sticking straight out, pushed by his erection, which, now that he had noticed, was throbbing so hard that it was almost painful.

Ash's hands quickly cupped his crotch. Oh man, had it been doing that the whole time? Even when people were being nice to him he ended up doing something embarrassing!

…

On the other side of the bridge, Misty's head broke through the water's surface.

She was an excellent swimmer, and had great lung capacity, so she had managed to ride the river's current pretty far.

And she was in luck! Gary the asshole and his asshole entourage were still on the bridge, glaring at her.

Grinning, Misty pulled down her right eyelid with one finger and blew out a raspberry.

Then the cheerleaders all stood up. And they got out of the car.

Oops, one of them was electric-type. If she hit the water with even a thundershock, then Misty was in a great deal of trouble.

She didn't, though. Rather, the blue-haired one got up on the bridge's railing and dropped her vest. A moment later her pink dress slid down her body, leaving her nude.

So they were sending the water-type after her. That…wasn't _too_ much of a problem, as Misty had raced against water-types before and won, though given what she had seen, Gary's parents had probably set him up with a harem of fairly high levels.

Then Gary opened his pokeball. There was a flash of red light, and a Squirtle materialized on the railing next to the nude cheerleader.

Oh crap. Misty might be able to outswim another human, PokeGirl or not, but she wasn't going to get away from a Squirtle.

Fortunately, she had put enough distance between herself and her pursuers to employ Plan C.

Her hands went underwater to her belt. And when they came up, each held a pokeball. Thumbs pressed the activation buttons, and they grew to fill her palms.

Before the cheerleader and the Squirtle could dive after her, Misty threw both of the pokeballs. "Staryu! Starmie! Go!"

Two twin red beams shot into the air, and two bejeweled star-shaped Pokemon appeared.

"Staryu! _Swift!"_

Misty's Staryu twirled into the sky and came to a stop above the dumbfounded Gary and his bimbo squad. Its gemstone core started to glow, and then hundreds of tiny yellow stars shot out.

Misty was filled with deep satisfaction as she listened to her assailants' cries of pain as they were stung over and over and over again.

But she wasn't done yet. "Starmie! Bubblebeam!"

Now it was the lavender Starmie's turn. It leapt up from the river, pointed its topmost ray down, and expelled a geyser of glowing bubbles.

The resulting screaming and the sound of the car smashing against the opposite railing were almost worth having been chased in the first place.

Misty recalled her Staryu. Then, with her Starmie lying flat on the river's surface, she climbed aboard, drew up her knees, and let the current take them forward. Hopefully by the time Jackass McDouchebag and the Concubine Brigade got their wits back, she would be long gone.

It wasn't until it was far too late to go back that Misty realized that she had left her bike and fishing pole behind.

She groaned in exasperation. Oh, now she was mad! Hopefully that stupid car had gone right into the water! Let's see that dumbass try to explain to Mommy and Daddy how he had managed to total his shiny new toy on his first day!

Though come to think of it…Gary Oak. Now, that was a name worth keeping in mind when she reached a place with a phone and got a call in to her gym. She was certain that the League would be interested to hear about a minor engaging in illegal girl hunting.

Overhead, the sky started to turn dark.


	2. (Unwillingly) On the Road to Viridian City!

_AKA the unsexy but surprisingly violent chapter._

The weather was changing for the worse. The sky, which had been clear and blue only a few minutes prior, had dulled to steel-grey, as the clouds grew and thickened. The winds had dropped in temperature but risen in strength, and were now sweeping across the landscape. Those who had taken precautions and gotten inside were now glad for it, and those who hadn't were sorely regretting it as they fled for shelter.

Ash had yet to notice. He was too focused on claiming his first Pokemon.

The fields around Pallet Town weren't known for their variety. One could reliably find Rattata and Pidgey in the fields, and there were a decent amount of bug-types in the trees, but that was about it. Most experienced trainers didn't even bother with the local fauna.

But it was like that nice trainer had said: Ash had to start _somewhere._ And if he could get it trained up, then a Raticate or a Pidgeot would make for a pretty decent choice.

But with no starter to weaken wild Pokemon to be caught, Ash had to rely on luck. So, seeing a flock of Pidgey pecking at the grass, he snuck forward on his hands and knees through the grass, trying to be as quiet as possible.

The Pidgey flock did not react to his approach. He looked around until he saw one that was a little bit away from the rest of the flock, and still completely unaware of his presence.

Ash held his breath. He pulled out one of the pokeballs, clicked the activation button and felt it grow in in his hand, and waited. The Pidgey kept hopping along, scratching at the ground and pecking for bugs.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Ash leapt up and hurled the pokeball with the technique of a soldier lobbing a hand-grenade and the grace of a rabid Mankey.

The pokeball sailed right over the Pidgey's head and landed in the grass, a clear miss.

Squawking in surprise, the whole flock took off.

"Huh?" Ash said as the Pidgey flock took wing all around him. He grabbed after them, as if that would convince them to stay. "Wait! Come back!"

Then he sighed in defeat. Okay, that had been dumb. Time to cut back on the yelling and exhibit more patience.

Retrieving the fallen pokeball, he resumed his search.

The local fields might not have anything particularly powerful or exotic, but it didn't lack for quantity, and before too long he caught sight of another Pidgey moving through the grass up ahead, this one by itself.

Okay, a second chance. Fingering the pokeball behind his back like a baseball pitcher, Ash slowly crept up, getting closer and closer. This time he would aim properly.

He circled around until he got a clear shot. The Pidgey looked a little different than the others, with more red than brown in its coloring and spikier plumage. No matter. A Pokemon was a Pokemon.

This time Ash kept his mouth shut. He reeled back and hurled.

It worked! The pokeball sailed through the air and smacked the Pidgey in the wing.

In that moment, Ash realized two very important details.

First of all, that hadn't been a Pidgey he had been stalking. Rather, it was a Spearow, the Pidgey's slightly less common but much more aggressive cousin.

Second, despite being activated and scoring a direct hit, the pokeball completely failed to do its job. It knocked the Spearow over and then plopped into the grass, completely inert.

Ash's jaw dropped. What? Why? Sure, throwing a pokeball at a Pokemon without weakening it first meant that he wasn't guaranteed a catch, but it should have at least _tried_ to absorb it!

The Spearow angrily scrambled to its feet. It then turned to shoot Ash a hateful glare before taking flight, screeching the whole way.

Ash ran over to inspect the pokeball. What was wrong with it? Had he been given a dud?

Holding it in his hands, he turned it over. Now that he was really looking, the red half looked a lot more pale than a traditional pokeball. Actually, it was pretty pink. And the grey half had a metallic sheen one normally didn't see.

Also, there was a big black H on top of the pink half.

Realization hit Ash like a thunderbolt, and he hastily pulled out the rest of the pokeballs to inspect them as well.

It was as he had feared. They weren't pokeballs; they were human balls, the kind specially designed for catching girls. And since Ash wasn't allowed to do that, nor did he particularly want to…mostly…they were _worthless_ to him!

"Argh!" Ash threw the activated human ball to the ground in anger, but despite it being made from metal and plastic, and despite the ground being covered with soft grass, it _still_ somehow bounced back up and hit him in the face.

Ash fell onto his butt and grabbed at his aching nose. Then he started banging his fist against the ground.

"Darn it! Darn it! _Darn it!"_

He couldn't win! No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't win! It was like the world was focused on ruining his dreams specifically!

And why did that trainer give him human balls anyway?! Weren't they supposed to be really expensive?

After he had calmed down some, Ash sighed and shrank the activated ball down and put them all back in his pocket. Maybe he could sell them off to buy some actual pokeballs.

Except, who would he sell them to? If a kid showed up at the local PokeMart with a bunch of human balls, then questions were going to be asked. No one would buy that some trainer had just given them to him! Why would any trainer willingly give up a handful of human balls?

Come to think of it, why had that trainer just given them to him? Had he reached into the wrong pocket? It didn't make any sense!

As Ash sat there sulking and wondering, he felt something splash against the back of his hand. Confused, he looked down at it, and then up.

The sky had gone past grey and had now darkened to black, and big fat raindrops were coming down.

Ash leapt to his feet. Oh no, now he was caught in a storm he had no idea was coming! Could this day possibly get any worse?

Covering his head with his hands, Ash fled back across the field, hoping to get home before the storm got _really_ bad.

…

Annoyed, wet, and cold, Misty hopped onto the shore and recalled her Starmie back into her pokeball.

The river had taken her to a lake in the middle of a small forest, which effectively meant the end of the road by that route. On the one hand, she was pretty sure she had lost Gary. On the other, she was now out in the open with no bike, down a fishing pole, and no idea where she was.

Also, it was starting to rain.

Scowling, Misty cast a disgruntled look at the sky. It seemed that her instincts had been right after all. Too bad that pompous idiot had prevented her from doing anything about it in time.

Pulling her PokeDex out of her pack, she checked her location. Okay, she was about halfway between Pallet Town and Viridian City. Now, if she was a betting girl, she would put all her chips on that Gary Oak as being from Pallet Town, given that they were the place with the official Pokemon Lab where kids could go to get their starters every year. If she headed down there, she would be able to find whoever it was that had signed off on him being given a trainer's license and raise a little hell.

On the other hand, that road he had been taking had been a straight shot to Viridian City, and that was the next logical stop for a beginning trainer, seeing how it had a gym and Pallet Town didn't. And her name would have a lot more pull there then it would in Pallet Town, and his a lot less.

Either Gary would go home to whine to his parents about how he had been unfairly assaulted, or he would be unable to take the shame and press on to the next town. Either way, she wasn't all that concerned about encountering him in a city, but just to be safe, Viridian City sounded like her best bet to have something done about him.

That decided, Misty put her PokeDex away, shouldered her pack, and set off. Hopefully she would make it before the rain got _really_ bad.

…

Ash hadn't even gotten a third of the way across the field when he heard the angry screech in the sky above.

Turning around, he looked up and froze in fear.

The Spearow had returned. And it was _mad._ What was more, it had brought _friends!_

The sky was filled with the angry birds, and they were all flying after Ash, ready to rip him apart with their talons and peck the bones to pieces.

"Wait!" Ash cried, holding his hands up, as if that would ever work.

" _Spearoooooow!"_ the leader shrieked as it opened its wings and swooped down at him. The others were quick to follow.

Ash would never make it all the way across the field. Changing direction, he bolted into the nearby forest, hoping that the cover of the trees would stave off his grisly demise long enough for someone to save him.

…

The storm was getting worse, and Misty was getting worried.

She hurried along, covering her head the best she could. Her umbrella had been attached to her bike along with her pole, which was another thing she owed Gary Oak for. And here she was, wearing nothing but her yellow tank top, a pair of shorts held up with red suspenders, and white sneakers. A perfectly fine outfit for strolling about on a warm summer's day, but _completely_ inadequate for her current situation.

Then lightning lit up the sky through the trees. Less than a second later thunder boomed. Misty gulped. She was in trouble.

"Hey!"

Misty turned to see someone running toward her, some guy with spiky black hair wearing a red cap. He was frantically waving his arms as he yelled.

"Run! They're after-"

And then his foot caught on a root, and he was sent sprawling.

Into Misty.

"Oof!"

The two children fell back to the ground, Misty flat on her back with the boy on top of her. Dazed, they both blinked their eyes and found out that their faces were now very close, their noses practically touching.

Also, one of his hands was pressing into her right breast.

"Get _off_ of me!" Misty cried as she shoved the creep off. "God, what is _with_ you perverts today?!"

"I'm sorry!" the boy cried. "I didn't mean to!"

" _Sure,_ you didn't," Misty said as she pulled herself to her feet. "You just so happened to come running at me at full speed at-"

"Oh no, they found me!"

"Huh?" Misty paused her angry tirade. "Who?"

The boy thrust a finger back the way he came. "The Spearows!"

"The what?"

Then she saw it.

Dozens of the angry little birds were flying through the trees, all screaming out their name over and over, all laser-focused on the boy.

"Oh."

"Run!" The boy grabbed her by the hand and took off. Moments later the two of them were running side-by-side.

"What did you do that made them so angry?" Misty called over the noise of the wind and the Spearows' enraged shrieks.

"I tried to catch one!"

"Well, can't you use your Pokemon to protect us?"

"I don't have one! And even if I did, there's too many!"

Misty shot him a look.

"What?!"

Misty sighed. Oh, so he was one of _those._ Another hapless newbie, one much less egregious than Gary but much more clueless. "Aren't you supposed to start with a Pidgey or a Weedle if you want to do it that way?" she shouted. "You know, something that _isn't_ going to get its friends to come after you?"

"I tried that too! Besides, I-"

The rest of his words were swallowed up by another clap of thunder.

The first of the Spearows caught up to them, and Misty felt something feathery thump against her neck, followed by a hot lance of pain. She cried out and tried to shield her head the best she could, but considering that her arms were bare, that didn't improve things by much.

The boy had it worse. The Spearows might be going after her by association, but they absolutely were after his blood. Fortunately he had on a jacket, gloves, and hat, so he was a little more protected than her, but that wouldn't do much against their concentrated assault.

Then, just as things looked really dire, the boy suddenly looked right at Misty. "Go the other direction!" he yelled. "They want me! I'll try to lead them off!"

"Are you _insane?_ They'll rip you to shreds!"

But the boy was already doing everything he could to get the attention of the entire flock. He snatched up a stick and started waving it around. "Hey! Hey! You want me? Then come and get me!"

It worked. The Spearows that were attacking Misty disengaged and went after him instead, and he ran off, with several shrieking bloodthirsty Pokemon in tow.

Misty gawked after him. Well, he certainly was as brave as he was stupid. Right now the smart thing to do would be to do as he said and run off before something else noticed her. Her arms, neck, and shoulders were torn up as it was!

But she couldn't just leave him to die! Besides, even if he didn't have any means to protect himself, Misty certainly did.

Shaking his head, Misty ran after him, her hands going again to her belt.

…

Ash's whole world was cold, wet, feathers, and pain. The Spearows were attacking him again and again, pecking and slashing at every bit of exposed flesh while actively tearing at his clothes to expose more. They blinded him with their wings. They deafened him with their cries.

Still he ran. He had to keep running. He had to draw them away from that girl. She had already been hurt because of him!

Suddenly the forest opened up and he was fleeing through open fields again, though he was so preoccupied with his ongoing death by a thousand cuts that he barely noticed. In fact, it wasn't until he reach a steep slope that he finally took note of his surroundings, and that was because his legs went out from under him and he ended up tumbling, sliding, and rolling all the way to the bottom.

Ash lay in a confused and agonized heap at the bottom. Every bit of him hurt, and now he was splattered with mud. The rain was coming down incredibly hard now, slamming into his face and chest, and he was covered with something gross and sticky that he was pretty sure was his own blood.

Blinking away the rain and blood from his eyes, he looked up. The Spearow flock were hovering at the top of the slope, framed by the storm like harbingers of doom. Which they were.

 _This is it,_ Ash realized. _I'm not getting out of this. I'm going to die here._

He was going to be reported as missing. People would assume he had run away from home out of shame. And then they would find his body, as well as his pocket of human balls. Rumors would spread about what had happened and what he had tried to do. Even in death, he would turn into a joke, and people would speak of Stupid Ash Ketchum, the dumb boy who didn't show up on time to get a Pokemon starter and died trying to illegally hunt girls.

What were his friends going to think? Would they ever even admit to being his friends? What about his Mom? How could she live with herself after, knowing that her son had turned out to be such a failure?

This was supposed to be the best day of his life, the start of his adventure. Instead, it turned out to be the end of his entire short and stupid life.

Then the lead Spearow rode the currents up, reading itself to swoop. Ash tensed up in anticipation of the pain that was to follow. Hopefully it wouldn't last long.

And then someone cried out, "Hey! Over here!"

The sky lit up with lightning, and Ash saw that girl he had run into earlier, the one with the carrot-orange hair, the yellow tank-top, and the red suspenders. She was standing on top of the hill, right behind the Spearow flock. There were two pokeballs in her hand.

Ash's jaw dropped. What was she _doing?_ Did she want to get herself killed as well.

The girl held out the two pokeballs up at the sky. "Staryu! Starmie! I choose-"

And then the whole world turned white, followed immediately by the sound of crashing drums.

Ash flinched as an avalanche of dirt and grass rained down on him. Above, he heard the Spearows screaming in fear. Then the sound of their cries got further and further away.

Wait, were they leaving? Had she driven them off?

Ash opened his eyes. The Spearows _were_ leaving! They were flying off as fast as their wings could carry them! That girl had done it!

She had to be a trainer! She had used her Pokemon to drive them off. She had saved him!

Despite his pain, the sheer gratitude Ash felt filled him with strength and energy. He hastily scrambled out of the pile of debris that had landed on him and looked up to the hill, expecting to see her there, standing in triumph.

The top of the hill was gone, and smoke was rising from where it had been.

What?

Ash blinked. He wiped the rain and blood from his face. What had happened? Where was-

Wait.

That flash! That boom! That avalanche! That hadn't been an explosion, that had been a lightning strike! And she had been standing on top of the hill, holding two metal spheres to the sky! So…

His relief replaced with terror, Ash scrambled up the slope as fast as he could. The grassy slant was slick beneath his feet, but he would not be deterred. He had to see if she was all right.

She wasn't.

Ash found her immediately. She was lying prone on the ground, her pokeballs still in her hand, both of them unopened. _They_ were fine, as presumably were the Pokemon inside. Pokeballs were designed to take a lot of punishment, both from physical abuse and the elements. Their interiors were insulated with a layer of rubber, rendering them resistant to electric attacks.

Unfortunately, their exteriors were still made from metal, and she had been holding onto them with her bare palms.

Her skin was an unhealthy grey pallor. Both of her arms were laced with bright red burns that looked leafless trees, running all the way into her shirt. Her eyes were glazed over and staring blankly to the sky, not even blinking when struck by rain. Every hair on her body was standing straight up, and blood was seeping out of both nostrils.

"Oh no. Hey!" He waved his hand in front of her face. There was no response. "Are you okay?"

It was a dumb question, but he didn't know what else to say. She didn't react either way.

Ash was in a panic. He had survived, but another kid had gotten herself killed instead! And when she was trying to save him no less! What was he going to do?

He tried to nudge her shoulder, only to whip his hand away. No, he shouldn't move her! That could make things worse, right?

But could they get worse? Was she even alive?

He pressed his ear to her chest. "Come on, come on!" he begged, the blood and rain on his face now being mixed with the tears streaming from his eyes. "Please be okay, please be okay…"

A heartbeat! She still had a heartbeat! It was slow, and it was sluggish, but it was there. She was still alive!

Ash's relief was short-lived though, because she clearly did not have long. The two of them were still out in the middle of a storm with no help to be found, and there was no way he could get her to help in time. If she lasted even a minute longer then it would be a miracle.

What was he going to do? What was he going to do? He couldn't let her die! But he didn't have anything that would-

Wait.

Ash thrust her hand into his pocket. And when he withdrew it, he held one of the human balls between his thumb and index finger.

Staring at the tiny sphere, he clicked the activation button with his thumb, causing it to grow to full size.

Ash swallowed. This was insane. No way could he do this. Wasn't it illegal? Or at least, against League rules?

Suddenly the girl's body jerked. For a moment Ash thought that she was waking up, but instead she just started making a strangled choking sound, a harsh gurgle from deep in her throat.

He was running out of time! If he waited any longer, then she would die!

Ash looked at the sphere in his hand, down at the girl, and then back at the sphere. Then, with the rain still pounding down from above, the wind tearing at his clothes, and lightning piercing the sky, he made a decision.


	3. A PokeGirl Emergency, Part 1!

_(Oh, I'm getting in trouble for this one)_

It had already been a pretty slow day at the Viridian City PokeCenter when the storm hit. Things had picked up a little immediately afterward, as all the nearby trainers decided to call it a day and came in to heal up their teams before heading to wherever they were staying, but that had come and gone, and now the place was practically empty.

Nurse Joy at the front desk, watching the weather rage outside through the front door. She dearly hoped that no one was caught in all that. Wasn't today supposed to be the day the kids got their starters down in Pallet Town? Hopefully they had decided to put off heading out for at least one more day.

"Chansey!"

Nurse Joy looked down and smiled as the PokeCenter's Chansey approached the desk, a tray with two steaming cups of team, a pitcher of cream, and bowl of sugar balanced on its stubby, pink arms. It reached up and pushed the tray onto the desk.

"Thank you, Chansey," Nurse Joy said as she took one of the cups and Chansey the other. Nurse Joy spooned some sugar into her tea, added a bit of cream, and stirred it all together.

The two watched the storm together, sipping their tea in silence. It was strange, to be safe and warm within the PokeCenter, while outside was violence and chaos.

"You know, this might sound strange," said Nurse Joy. "But I'm actually glad that the Gym Leader is still gone."

"Chansey?"

"Oh, I know it means we don't get as much business. But he's here so infrequently that it's so hard to keep up with demand whenever he's in town. Can you imagine having to deal with all that when _this_ is going on?"

Chansey nodded in agreement. "Chansey!"

"Especially since so many of them tend to have been trainers for a while, and have a PokeGirl or two," Nurse Joy continued. "Can you imagine being caught in this weather with how they get dressed up?" She shivered. That was one of the many reasons she refused to partake in any Pokemon training herself. If one didn't battle, then you couldn't be caught. There was more than one trainer out there that had a Nurse Joy on their team.

"Chansey," Chansey said sadly.

Then Nurse Joy frowned. Wait, was that someone running toward the front door? It looked like a kid. But why was he heading here and not home?

Moments later he burst in through the front door. "HELP!" he screamed. "Please, you have to help her!"

Nurse Joy leapt to her feet. The boy looked to only be around ten or eleven at most, with dark hair and eyes. And he looked like he had just been through a war. His clothes were torn and covered with mud while his arms, neck, and face were covered with bleeding cuts. But what was more concerning was the look in his eyes. He looked so panicked from terror that if no one helped him soon he would probably hurt himself further.

"Oh, Mother of Arceus!" Nurse Joy blurted out. "Chansey, go get the First Aid kit!"

"Chansey!"

Nurse Joy hurried around the desk to calm the boy. "All right, let's calm down," she said, reaching out to him. "You're safe now, and no one's-"

Instead of taking her hands, he instead thrust a pokeball into her grasp.

"Please!" he begged. "Save her!"

"Save her?" Nurse Joy said, looking down at the pokeball. "Oh! I understand." The boy was a rookie trainer, and something had happened to injure both him and his Pokemon. "Don't worry. So long as it's in its pokeball, it can't-"

Then she frowned. Wait.

"Is…Is this a _human ball?"_

"Yes!" the boy practically screamed. "And it's not what you think! I'll explain everything, but first _help her!"_

"I…" Nurse Joy shook her head. Later. She could ask questions later.

She hurried over to the Healing Machine, inserted the human ball, and pushed a few buttons. On the screen a 3d wire representation of the ball's occupant appeared while the screen filled with data.

"Hmmm, human female," Nurse Joy said. "Obviously. Age…"

She paused. And then glanced over to the frantic boy, who was hovering over her shoulder. Questions indeed.

Shaking her head, Nurse Joy went back to her job. Heal first, questions later.

" _Severe_ electrical burns," she said. "I'm reading bad nerve damage around the hands and wrists, palms completely skinned, damage to the respiratory system, cardiac arrest, both eardrums blown out, cataracts in the eyes, internal bleeding." She shook her head. If the girl hadn't been put into a human ball when she had, she would certainly be dead.

"Can you save her?" the boy said anxiously.

"I can." Nurse Joy said. She pressed a button, and the Healing Machine dinged. The slot that the human ball had been inserted to started to glow, and a soft green light surrounded it.

"Don't worry," Nurse Joy said as she turned in her seat toward him. "You got us to her in time. Her injuries are bad, but she will be fine. It'll just take a little longer for her to heal, about an hour instead of a few minutes."

Pure relief swept through the boy's body, and he nearly collapsed right then and there. "Oh, thank you," he whispered at grateful tears streamed down his cheeks. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

Right about then, Chansey showed up with the First Aid kit.

"But now that she's healing, let's see to you," Nurse Joy said as she stood up.

"Me?"

"Yes, you. Or are you aware of how much you're bleeding?"

The boy stared at her in stupefaction. Then he looked down at the red cuts all over his arms as if noticing them for the first time.

"Ah!"

"Come on," Nurse Joy said as she took his trembling hand. "We'll get you fixed up. And you can explain to me what happened."

…

_It was an odd state of being, existing halfway between consciousness and oblivion, unable to recall anything but certain that she ought to._

_All she knew was that she had been hurt, but beyond that, nothing. No memory of what had happened, no memory of who or what had hurt her, no memory of why or how. She didn't even know who she even was._

_That ought to concern her, she knew. She ought to be distressed. And yet, she couldn't muster any feelings other than a vague unease. She just couldn't seem to bother._

_In the meantime, there was something happening. Energy was flowing into her, energy that she didn't know where it came from. It felt good though, so she just let it be about its work._

_Enough of her was aware to hope that someone would come get her and explain things. Eventually._

…

Outside, as if to prove that it had risen up for no other reason than to ruin Ash's life, the storm was starting to quite. The rain slowed to a drizzle, the winds calmed, and the lightning ceased.

Even so, it wasn't ideal weather to be out and about in, much less a hot air balloon.

It hovered high above Viridian City, a massive inflated representation of a Meowth's head of all things. If anyone below saw it, they would wonder if the occupants had completely lost their minds. After all, only the totally insane would take a hot air balloon out during a thunderstorm!

And at least one of its occupants agreed.

"Huh," said the balloon's "pilot" as he looked up at the sky. "I thinks dah lightnin' rods worked."

One of the balloon's occupants, who was entirely unused to floating around in a hot air balloon in the first place and couldn't understand why her two companions insisted on using it in the first place, nervously peeked out of the basket. "You mean you weren't _sure?"_

"Eh," he said with a nonchalant shrug. "Seemed like a safe bet."

"A safe _bet?_ You attached _Voltorbs_ to our balloon!"

And he had. Attached to the bottom of the basket was a metal apparatus with four outstretched arms, each one covered with rubbed, and attached to the end of each was a _very_ angry Voltorb!"

"Well, dah Pikachus kept scratchin' me and dah Magnemites wouldn't stop wanderin' off! And don't get me stahted on dat Electabuzz!"

"Oh, you think you're so smart, don't you?" Cassidy snapped. "Don't you know what Voltorbs _do_ when they're angry?"

"Well, obviously," said the third member of the balloon's "crew," such as it was. "We're counting on it, actually!"

"You're counting on the Voltorbs _blowing us up?"_

"Not us," said the pilot. He clawed his way up the side of the basket to point to the town below. _"Dem!"_

All told, they were an odd assemblage. Cassidy was a young blonde woman in her early twenties. She wore a short black dress a large red R over her breasts, thigh-high stockings, and elbow-length black gloves. Despite still being a Grunt, she had crawled, bit, clawed, and climbed her way up Team Rocket's hierarchy, perpetuating heist after heist, everything from kidnapping (an entire beauty pageant's contestants!) to grand larceny (a million dollar diamond that she _still_ had!) to impersonating the clergy (never again) to replacing all the rice balls at a police party with poisoned donuts (she still wasn't sure how anyone saw the difference) to tax fraud (that one had taken a lot of work, because as someone born into the Team Rocket organization, Cassidy hadn't even heard of "taxes" until then, and still found the concept stupid. Paying her money to help someone else? Ridiculous!).

Unfortunately, before she was promoted to admin, she and her partner Butch had to cooperate with another team on a big mission, one much less…competent.

It had not gone well.

Despite things clearly being the other team's fault (what part of lie low, wait for the signal that was never going to happen, and let her and Butch handle everything didn't they understand?), the blame had been shared all around, and it was mandated that the two teams engage in emergency cooperation training.

Which was to say, they had been split apart and then mix and matched, the boys with the boys and the girls with the girls.

Which meant that while her Butch was off _suffering_ at the hands of the King of Camp, Cassidy was stuck with the living definition of dimwitted primadonna.

Jessie, Cassidy's poor excuse for a "partner," was also a woman in her early twenties who served Team Rocket, and that was where the similarities ended. Instead of a proper black dress, she wore a white halter top and skirt combination, one that left her midriff bare and had a slit right across the red R on her chest. Whereas Cassidy had her hair in an elegant, yet practical, style, Jessie's purple…monstrosity was waxed into a single giant horn that stuck out an entire meter behind her head. How she maintained that style, Cassidy couldn't even begin to guess, as she had never so much as seen her touch it up.

Jessie was emblematic of everything that was wrong with Team Rocket Grunts these days. She was dumb, she was lazy, and she was arrogant. Every plan Cassidy carefully laid out, Jessie would manage to ruin. Every part Cassidy laid out for her just to include her while keeping her out of the way, Jessie would still somehow manage to bungle. And every time Jessie would suggest a plan of her own, Cassidy would be so stupefied by its sheer idiocy that she wondered how Jessie had managed to evade being arrested so long, much less caught by some trainer she was trying to scam and turned into a PokeGirl. Maybe she had, only for her trainer to abandon her after only a few hours of having to put up with her.

But as inexplicable as Jessie was, she was nothing to the supposed "leader" of their hapless trio.

In short, he was a Pokemon.

To be more specific, he was a Meowth, a feline Pokemon fairly common in Kanto known for the their irritating disposition, perchance for wearing shiny charms on their heads, and being able to summon up large wads of money as an offensive weapon. Unfortunately, this Meowth couldn't do the latter, else he might actually be worth something!

Instead, he compensated by being the only Meowth able to walk around on his hind legs like a human.

"So if yous are done whinin'," he said in that weird accent of his, "hows about yous goes an' gets ready tah flip dah switch?"

Also, he could talk. He was a Pokemon that could walk and talk like a human.

Why this was so, Cassidy didn't know, nor would he tell her. Why this anomaly wasn't being paraded around and people charged admission to see him, she couldn't even begin to fathom. He was a _talking Pokemon!_ Surely there were better way to make money off of him other than… _recruiting_ him!

And yet recruit him the boss had, and he was now a full-fledged member of Team Rocket, and the leader of the… _other_ group, which Cassidy was now forced to be a part of. And any novelty that might come from working with a talking Pokemon was worn down by him being A: really, really bossy, and B: kind of an idiot.

Oh, he wasn't Jessie-level stupid, much less as dumb as her braindead partner, but he was still pretty dumb. And for some reason he was in charge.

Finally Cassidy had given up arguing with him, which is why she had ended up floating through the air in a hot air balloon through a massive storm with several angry Voltorbs strapped to their basket.

Cassidy had been _this_ close to making admin! One more success, and she would have scored that promotion! Now she was looking longingly at every passing trainer, wondering if she could convince them to catch her. Life as a PokeGirl couldn't be this unbearable.

"Well?" Meowth demanded. "Whaddya waitin' for?"

"Fine, fine," Cassidy groused as she headed for the switch in question. "If it gets the living _bombs_ off us any faster."

She laid a hand on the switch, but as she did, she felt Jessie approach her from behind and immediately tensed up.

"Why so stressed, Cassidy?" Jessie murmured as she pressed her body against Cassidy's. One of her hands snaked around to grab onto one of Cassidy's breasts. "Don't you _like_ working with us?"

…

Ash's wounds had been treated, sprayed with the tingling potion that was similar to the type used to cure wounded Pokemon. It still stung, especially on the really deep cuts, where the Spearows had gotten with their curved beaks, but he had endured. Nurse Joy had tsked worryingly as she had fixed him up.

"Looks like there's a slight infection here," she had said, her fingers brushing over his neck. Despite the hot flashes of pain, it still felt weirdly good having her touch him, even if what she was doing was only inspecting the various gashes he had picked up.

"Oh, i-is there?" Ash had said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Yes. Not surprising, considering your tumble through the mud. I'm just going to add something a little stronger to be safe. Brace yourself."

"Huh? For wha-" Then something cool been sprayed onto his neck, something that felt like salt water mixed with crushed glass. "Ow!"

Still, he had gotten through it: the gashes had been disinfected and were on the mend, his neck, shoulders, forearms, hands, and the back of his head had been bandaged tightly with waterproof wrappings, and he now was in the PokeCenter's shower, getting cleaned up.

The shower was in a private booth with a curtain, but it was still in a large, communal space. Granted, it was empty save for him, but he still felt weirdly exposed to be showering in such a strange place.

Still, the hot water felt _great_ on his tired, aching body. Nurse Joy had assured him that he didn't need to worry about getting the bandages wet, but he was still cautious letting the stream hit them directly, so let it hit him mainly in the middle of his back while he used a washcloth to gingerly clean around the tied-up areas.

But now that he was finally _safe,_ that the girl was healing and neither were in danger anymore, he found the heart-stopping fear slowly replaced by deep simmering worry.

What was he going to do? How was he going to explain things to Mom? She was probably worried sick about him! Did she know what had happened? Surely someone had told her about him showing up too late to get a starter and how he had run off crying. And now that it was night and he still hadn't come back, what was she thinking?

He had to call her and explain things. It would be embarrassing, but that was better than having her worry sick about him. After that, he would have to go home.

 _That_ was the part that truly bothered him. He had already bragged to his friends about being ready to set off and become a Pokemon trainer, but now he was going to have to slink home with his tail tucked between his legs. Yes, he was grateful that he hadn't died, but his future wasn't looking like it was worth having survived.

(the sour worry that was twisting his stomach sank a little lower and grew warm)

And what was he going to tell that girl that had saved him? "Sorry you almost died while saving me from my own stupidity, but we're stuck together because I had to catch you"? She was going to be furious! She was going to hate him!

And he just plain didn't want her to hate him. After all, she was everything he wanted to be: a young Pokemon trainer, one who was strong, independent, and fearless. She had to be close to his age, and still already had a full team!

Plus, she was…

(the warmth in his core grew)

…well, she was really, _really_ cute. He had only actually known her for a couple of minutes, ones that had been mostly spent fleeing for his life, but it had still been the closest he had ever been to any girl, ever!

His mind wandered back to the trainer that had given him those human balls, and the two PokeGirls that had belonged to him, about how they had draped themselves around him, pressing their bodies in close, letting him touch them, getting annoyed when he wasn't touching them. And he had seen several other trainers act just the same!

(he started to feel flush, for reasons that had nothing to do with the hot water)

Ash might have been a kid, but he wasn't _that_ ignorant. He had studied the lifestyle of a trainer at length, so he knew full well what trainers and their PokeGirls did together. Personally he found it weird and uncomfortable and had very little interest in doing any of that. He wanted to become a trainer of Pokemon and Pokemon only, thank you very much!

But now he had a PokeGirl.

He had no intention of treating her like a PokeGirl; of course he didn't! Heck, he wouldn't have caught her in the first place if it weren't for the sudden emergency they had found themselves in!

Still…he _did_ have a PokeGirl…

(down below, Ash's penis started twitching up and down)

He thought of those two PokeGirls again. And then he mentally took out their trainer, and replaced him with himself. It…okay, it was weird even to imagine. Both of them had to be at least twice as old as he was, and considerably taller at that. Their naked hips would practically be bumping up against his shoulders, with their boobs resting on his head!

But then the picture in his mind changed. The two PokeGirls were gone, and in their place was the girl that had rescued him, affectionately pressing herself up against him with his arm around her waist.

Maybe…Maybe she wouldn't be mad. Maybe she would be grateful that he had saved her. Maybe she would _like_ being his PokeGirl. Unlikely, but what if?

He pictured the two of them traveling together, laughing and talking as they strolled through fields and woods, hunting down Pokemon together, training them together, challenging other trainers and Gym Leaders together, and no one need know that she was technically a PokeGirl. That wouldn't be so bad. Actually, it sounded like a lot of fun! Just the two of them, a couple of kids on a grand Pokemon adventure, all alone in the wide wilderness, camping together beneath the stars, lying side-by-side while staring up at the sky. And then their hands would seek each other's out, and their fingers would entwine…

And from there, who knew what would happen when they got comfortable together? Sharing a single sleeping bag, their bodies pressed close together for warmth. Huddled up against one another in their tent, waiting for rain to stop. Swimming together in lakes and rivers, wearing nothing but their underwear.

Or maybe…if they so happened to be far enough away from civilization…nothing at all?

(the slow, simmering warmth in his core suddenly flared up, causing his penis to rise up and grow stiff)

And then the picture in his mind changed again. Now the mental image of himself was gone, and it was just her, and she was smiling, smiling at him, not at the imaginary Ash, but at _him!_

Now she was walking toward him, not a casual stroll, but a slow, sensual strut, hips swaying with every step, that impish smile not leaving her face. Her hands slowly moved up her front, practically caressing herself, to come to rest on the straps of her suspenders, which she then idly pushed off her shoulders.

The straps came down, and so did her shorts, sliding down her bare legs to get kicked aside.

(his hand moved as if it had a mind of its own, sliding down his front, down to his softly burning sex. It hesitated, hovering right over its destination. Then it went in, fingers clasping around the hardness of his penis, the touch sending electricity shooting up his hips)

Her panties were white with blue stripes, and she didn't seem to care at all that Ash was staring; she seemed to enjoy being stared at, as her hands once against caressed her front as they slid up, seizing the bottom of her short, yellow tank top, pulling it up over her head and letting it drop. Unlike the two PokeGirls, her boobs were very small, almost flat, and that seemed right.

That didn't seem to be bother her any. If anything, she seemed almost proud, as she idly squeezed one of her nipples between her finger and her thumb, rolling it around for him as if to say, _Come. This is yours. It belongs to you alone._ Her other hand trailed down, fingertips brushing her skin, to grab onto the waistband of her panties.

And then her hand went down even further.

(his breathing now slow and heavy, Ash began to move his hand back and forth, sliding it up and down his shaft)

And now she was wearing the same kind of outfit as those PokeGirls, with red boots and red gloves and a bright red corset tightly around her waist, leaving her chest and hips naked. Her coppery hair had been let down and combed out, and now fell down around her shoulders in shimmering waves.

 _We can be like this, you know,_ she said as she continued to come deliciously close, her hands outstretched toward him. _I'm yours. You just have to choose to have me-_

"Ash!"

His hand still clasped around his throbbing member, Ash suddenly jerked up at the sound of his name being called from the door to the PokeCenter's showers, and immediately regretted it when it sent his bandaged wounds throbbing just as hard.

"Y-Yeah?" he stammered.

"I finished cleaning your clothes and left them on the bench outside your stall! So when you want to talk, go ahead and come out. I put on some tea for us."

"Oh, uh, thanks!"

The door to the showers swung shut, and Ash slowly breathed out. That interruption had taken him right out of the mood, the unfamiliar feeling of intense arousal now dampened by the very familiar feeling of shame. His penis was already retreating in embarrassment.

Ash shook his head. Then, with a frustrated groan, he twisted the shower knobs off.

It was just as well. That girl had gotten hurt trying to save him. She didn't deserve to be grossly fantasized over by some unlucky loser.

And it occurred to him then that the scenario he had just had her play out in his head was identical to a porn video Gary had shown him, back when they were still friends. So it wasn't even an original fantasy.

Upset, ashamed, frustrated, and still pretty hot and bothered, Ash exited the shower. Hopefully there was no one out there having an as embarrassing day as he was.

…

_The energy continued to flow into her, and as it did, the feeling of being hurt slowly receded._

_Not that she hurt. No, she actually felt nothing at all. It was more of an_ awareness _of having been hurt, a consistent signal informing her of the situation without really delving into specifics. It was insistent, it was constant, and had she the capability for emotion at that moment she would find it quite annoying. But it didn't hurt. And it was slowly going away. She was healing._

_Well, that was nice. Hopefully when it was done she would either be allowed to wake up fully or slip into sleep, because this half-state was almost bothersome, or at least it would be if she was able to be feel bothered, which she wasn't._

_And that kind of bothered her._

…

Cassidy went rigid. She gritted her teeth as Jessie fingered the nipple through her dress, rolling it between her fingers, making it rise up and harden like the traitor it was.

And then there was _this._ Cassidy was not unused to the constant sexual harassment; hell, in Team Rocket it was practically the Grunts' way of saying hello. And at least with Butch it had been mutual and consensual! But ever since being separated from him and paired up with _those_ two idiots, it had gotten so, so, so much worse.

Despite clearly being the least important member of their unwilling trio (and how pathetic does one have to be to rank beneath a Meowth, talking or otherwise?), Jessie had gotten into her head that since there were two of them and only one of Cassidy, that meant that she could do whatever she wanted whenever she felt like. Unfortunately, she was kind of right, as that damned Meowth would always pop his claws whenever Cassidy took umbrage.

Which was often.

"Come on, admit it," Jessie murmured as she gave Cassidy' nipple a sharp twist, sending lances of pain through her breast and making her wince. Her other hand ran through Cassidy's hair, stroking the locks before gathering up a handful and bringing it to her nose. "Mmmm," Jessie said as she sniffed.

Cassidy's eye twitched. "Let go of me," she said in a low, dangerous tone. "Right now."

"Or you'll do what?" The hand on Cassidy's breast stretched all the way across her bust and pressed in, squishing both breasts. The other then danced its way down Cassidy's neck to caress her shoulder, before sliding a single finger all the way down her back to come to rest on the curve of Cassidy's ass.

"Last chance, Jessie. Piss off."

Jessie chuckled. "Oh, please," she said as she gave her handful of Cassidy's ass a squeeze. "If you really didn't like it, you would have done something by now."

With that, her hand then slithered down, beneath Cassidy's skirt and slipping in beneath her underwear.

Right then.

"Ow!" Jessie recoiled, hopping on one leg while grabbing the other with both hands, holding onto where Cassidy had slammed the back of her boot into Jessie's shin.

Cassidy turned around, planted the sole of her boot on Jessie's chest, and shoved, driving her back into a corner of the basket. "Jessie, I know learning isn't really your strong suit, so let me be abundantly clear: touch me again, and I will report you as having been carried off by an Arcanine and cope with the consequences by warming myself with the memory of actually having beaten your head in with a rock. Do I make myself clear?"

Jessie's eyes burned with indignant fury. "How _dare_ you!" she shouted. "The boss will-"

"Ah, ah, ah," Cassidy warned, tapping the three pokeballs on her belt, which was noticeably greater than the single one on Jessie's. "Let's be professional here."

"Yah wanna rethink that, Toots?" Meowth said, idly popping the claws on his right paw.

Right. Enough of this.

"Well, I don't know, Mr. Top Cat," Cassidy responded. "Say, why don't we see how your claws stand up to my Raticate's fangs? And after we do that…" She pulled out an empty pokeball and activated it. "Let's see if that mouth of yours makes you immune to being caught!"

Meowth froze. "Yah _wouldn't!"_

Shrugging, Cassidy went back to the switch. "Well, I certainly don't want to. The thought of having to carry you around with me almost makes me want to resign. But if you two keep pushing me, it'll be _you_ I drop out of this balloon!"

And with that, she seized the switch and yanked it down.

…

The boy's wounds had been treated, his clothes cleaned, and since he was now showered and dressed, he was sitting across from Nurse Joy in the break room, nursing a cup of tea as he explained everything.

And to Nurse Joy's immense relief, it was a lot less illegal and unethical than she had suspected.

"Well, your quick thinking saved her life," she told him. She tapped her SilphScreen, which was feeding her information on her patient from the Healing Machine. "If you hadn't done what you had done, she would be dead."

"I know, I know," Ash Ketchum sighed. "But kids aren't supposed to catch PokeGirls! And what will she think when she finds out? Is she stuck with me forever?"

"Hmmm, well, I wouldn't worry about it," Nurse Joy said. "I won't tell anyone if you won't. And no, she isn't. You can just release her once she's healed up."

"I can do that?"

"Of course! We offer releasing services right from the public PC! If you need to release a Pokemon or a PokeGirl for whatever reason, you can do it right here!"

Ash sighed with relief. "Oh, thank goodness. I don't know how I'd explain that to my mom."

Nurse Joy couldn't help but smirk. "You know, you're a very strange boy."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"I mean most boys your age would love to have a PokeGirl all of your own! And you actually caught one, and with a very good reason too! But here you are, so quick to get rid of her."

Ash's face flushed. "N-No! It's not like that!"

"Are you sure? I mean, I did see her picture on the screen, and she is quite the cutie!"

"It's n-not!" Ash's insisted, his voice cracking in the most adorable way. "She got hurt trying to save me! I had to do _something!"_

"Hmmm, if you say so." Nurse Joy decided to drop the subject. As fun as teasing the kid and getting him all flustered was, he had already had a tough day. Still, it was clear to see that the boy had developed quite the crush on his mystery rescuer. "Of course, there's still the issue of that trainer handing out human balls to children. Did he give you his name?"

Ash breathed out in relief at the change in topic. "His name? Uh, no, he didn't."

On the SilphScreen, she saw that the girl had been healed enough to work on identification. It immediately started scrolling through names. "Well, can you describe him?"

Ash started to, but he didn't have to for long before Nurse Joy stopped him. "That's enough," she sighed. _"Alexander."_

"Uh, who?"

"Oh, he's this hotshot trainer that passes through here sometimes. I guess he's skilled enough, but he's made two shots at the local Gym Leader, and failed each time. But that hasn't really deterred him. And he's just handing out human balls?"

"Uh, maybe he reached into the wrong pocket."

"Maybe." Though Nurse Joy seriously doubted it. Handing out human balls to a little boys sounded exactly like the sort of thing Alexander would get a kick out of. "Still, I'm going to have a little talk with the local authorities about this." Then, seeing Ash's face pale, she quickly assured him, "Don't worry, you won't be in trouble, I won't even use your name. But this really isn't the sort of thing he should be allowed to get away with."

"Well, if he hadn't, then she would have died!"

"If he had just given you the pokeballs, you wouldn't be in that position to begin with! You would've caught that Spearow and none of that would have happened!" Then Nurse Joy sighed. "Still, if you insist. I still think someone ought to tell him off though." Then she smiled. "You really want to become a Pokemon trainer, don't you?"

Ash's bandaged-up face immediately lit up. "Oh, more than anything!"

"Hmmm." Nurse Joy rose from her seat. "Wait here."

She went to the back of the room and opened up a grey door. Ash sat and stared in confusion as she went inside the room beyond.

Moments later she emerged. "If you're set on doing this, you have to do it properly," she said, handing him a child-sized travel pack. It was somewhat weatherworn, but still serviceable. "Inside you'll find a tent, a sleeping bag, a First Aid kit, and other camping essentials."

Ash's jaw dropped. "For me? Wow!"

"And that's not all. Here."

In one hand was a belt of pokeballs, the real thing this time. In the other was a PokeDex.

"You're giving me a _PokeDex?"_

"Yeah, you'll be surprised at what people just leave here," Nurse Joy told him. "That's our Lost and Found. We hold onto everything we find, but after a couple of weeks, it's free game."

Ash's eyes filled with grateful tears. "I-I don't know what to say."

Nurse Joy leaned over and kissed him on the cheek. "You can start with 'thank you.'"

Ash's face immediately turned beet-red, and he stammered out a thank you. Nurse Joy was amused. The kid had heart and guts, and would shape up into a fine trainer one day. Also he had that sort of awkward charm that would probably draw girls to him in droves without him realizing it. He probably wouldn't even need to catch them to get them to go with him.

And that reminded her. "Oh, and by the by," Nurse Joy said. "You'd better give me those human balls. It's better that you don't keep them with you."

"Oh, right!" Ash reached into both of his jeans pockets. "Here!"

He pulled out two handfuls of shrunken-down spheres. Nurse Joy frowned. He had about twelve in his right hand, and they were human balls all right. But the six in his left looked like regular pokeballs.

"Wait," she said. "I thought you said he didn't give you any pokeballs."

"Huh? Oh, right!" Ash gently dropped the pokeballs into a small pile. "These actually belong to that girl! She was holding these two, and the rest just dropped to the ground when I caught her!"

Well, that made sense. A quirk of human balls was that while they did bring in any nonliving material that so happened to be on the captured girl's body such as clothing, they didn't absorb other catching implements, be they intended for humans or Pokemon. It seemed that this girl was a trainer, and a somewhat accomplished one at that. "Well, let's just hang onto these for her," she said as she reached for them. "I'm sure she'll be happy to-"

Then she paused. "Wait, that one there…"

She touched her finger to one of the girl's pokeballs and turned it around. Its upper shell was pink.

"This is a human ball," she said. "Did you mix it in with the others?"

"Uh, no," Ash said. He was already suiting up, slipping the belt of pokeballs on, pocketing the PokeDex, and easing the backpack up onto his shoulders, wincing as the straps passed over the bandaged areas. "Those were all hers."

"Hmmm." Another odd mystery. Nurse Joy picked up her SilphScreen. From the look of things, the girl had finished healing, but they were still working on sorting out her identity. It was still scrolling through names, though they had slowed down considerably as it came close to her name. A little more, a little more.

Then it stopped, and Nurse Joy's eyes widened.

"Oh my," she said. The boy had a genuine _Gym Leader_ in the Healing Machine.

"What?"

Nurse Joy tapped her SilphScreen. "I just found out who she is."

Ash's eyes boggled. "You _did?_ Who is she?"

Before Nurse Joy could answer, all the lights went out.

And then there was an explosion.

…

_The feeling of being hurt finally ebbed away, and she was left feeling whole. Well, that was good, but now she would like it if someone would tell her where she was, what had happened to her, and if they were especially kind, then maybe they could tell her who she was as well._

_But suddenly something was different, and not how she would have wanted it. A switch had been flipped, a change made, and she felt the healing power simply vanish._

_A moment later she too sank back into the cold embrace of oblivion._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry about the Viridian City/Vermillion City screw up in the last couple chapters. But in my defense, they both feel the same when you say them out loud.
> 
> Btw, is spelling Pokemon as PokeMon distracting? I did it to keep it consistent with PokeGirl, PokeCenter, PokeMart, etc., but in reading it back, it certainly flows kind of weird.


	4. A PokeGirl Emergency, Part 2!

A PokeGirl Emergency, Part 2!

In Team Rocket, timing was everything.

The entrance was, of course, all important. So after cutting out the PokeCenter's power and dropping the bombs, one could not afford to wait until the smoke had cleared before grappling down from the balloon and into the brand new hole in the PokeCenter's ceiling. Otherwise, how else would they emerge dramatically from the smoke, already striking their intimidating poses?

And at first things went smoothly. The jolt of electricity from the Voltorbs fried the PokeCenter's power, just as planned. Then they were released from their restraints and exploded as soon as they hit the PokeCenter's roof, just as planned. And Cassidy and Jessie slid down cables right into the smoking hole, just as planned. Then they took up position next to each other so that their silhouettes would be the first thing the local marks would see as the smoke started to dissipate.

They held those poses, both mentally counting down. And when they felt that enough of the smoke cleared, they began.

"Prepare for trouble!" Jessie declared.

"And make it double," continued Cassidy, though it galled her to do so. When she had been with Butch, _she_ had been the one to lead things off.

"To protect the world-" Jessie started say, just as Cassidy said, "Here's our mission, so you-"

The two female Rocket Grunts stopped chanting, and then glared at each other.

"What do you think you're doing, talking over my part?" Jessie demanded.

"I'm doing it right! We're supposed to say the next part together!"

"No, next I say, 'To protect the world from devastation!' And then you say-"

"What? No, you're skipping an entire verse! And…it's 'To _infect_ the world with devastation!' Why would we be protecting the world from anything? We're the villains!"

"Well, even villains need the world around to steal from it. If we devastate the world, then who would we rob?"

"It's not meant to be literal!"

Groaning, Meowth dropped down from the roof. "If you two nitwits are done ruinin' our entrance," he said as he strolled up to the pair, "can you get back tah doin' your danged _jobs?"_

Cassidy groaned. "Fine, fine, _fine!_ We'll do it _your_ way."

"Oh, it's too late, the moment's gone," Jessie sighed.

Then the smoke cleared away completely.

"Um, so is everyone else, apparently," Jessie said, looking around. "Where is everyone?"

The PokeCenter's front lobby was dark as expected, but it was also empty. All of the dumbstruck and cowering trainers and PokeGirls were simply nowhere to be seen."

"Are you telling me that we wasted our time on an empty PokeCenter?" Cassidy snapped. "What are we supposed to do now? Steal the _pamphlets?"_

"Well, maybe we can take the Healing Machine," Jessie said.

"Are you completely off your rocker? Do you have any idea how much that thing _weighs?"_

"Well, considering that you're able you carrying your bloated body everywhere you go, you should have no trouble with it!"

Now Cassidy was seething. "Are you _blind?_ You clearly weigh more than me!"

Now Jessie was shoving her forehead up against Cassidy's, her fists balled. "You take that back!"

Cassidy shoved back. "I'm not taking it back; it's the truth!"

"Hey!"

The two turned to see Meowth standing on the front desk, his paws folded over his chest as he glowered at the pair.

"Can't you two numbskulls go _one job_ wit'out snappin' at one anudder?" he said. "See, dis is why we're stuck togetha!"

"Oh, don't you dare!" Cassidy said. "You're not stuck here with me, I'm stuck here with you!"

"And who's fault is that, I wonder?" Jessie said.

"It's clearly yours!"

Meowth sighed. "Well, at least dis ain't a total loss. Check here."

He hopped off the desk and went over to where the inert Healing Machine sat in its alcove. Now that she was looking, Cassidy saw a single human ball sitting nestled in one of the slots.

Meowth picked up the human ball and held it over his head. "Eh? Tah-dah!"

Cassidy rolled her eyes. "Oh, look. One girl. Barely even worth the paperwork."

"Well, supposedly there's a Nurse Joy somewhere in here," Jessie said.

"Oh, look. One PokeGirl, and one Nurse Joy. Did I ever tell you how Butch and I managed to kidnap all the contestants in a beauty pageant? Because we did!"

"Hey! Let her _go!"_

The two bickering Grunts turned to see that they were no longer alone in the lobby.

The aforementioned Nurse Joy was there, scowling in anger with her fists balled, as if she could do anything. And standing in front of her was some kid so covered with bandages that he looked like he had gone through a woodchipper.

"Uh, did I miss something?" Jessie asked. "Who's this runt?"

…

So far today Ash had been overcome by shame, stricken by grief, driven by mindless terror, subjected to immense pain, left unsatisfied in the grip of intense arousal, and burdened by crushing guilt. Now he got to add burning fury to the checklist of classic negative emotions.

Standing before him in the pile of rubble were two women with big red R's on their chests, no doubt the perpetrators of the attack. But more pressing was the Meowth that was somehow standing upright on the Healing Machine, with the human ball containing the redheaded girl held in its paws.

He wasn't going to let them get away with her.

"I'm warning you!" Ash shouted. "You'd better give her back, or else!"

Then Nurse Joy laid a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful," she said. "That's Team Rocket!"

Ash swallowed. Oh, this wasn't good. He had heard of the notorious criminal syndicate, which supposedly controlled all organized crime in Kanto. He also knew that they specialized in kidnapping, as well as what they reportedly did to the girls they kidnapped.

"Dis yers?" said the Meowth. "Ain't girl huntin' against dah rules when yer a kid?"

Ash nearly fell right on his face. "Wait, you can-"

"Yeah, yeah, I can talk." Then the Meowth popped the claws in one paw and scraped them across the human ball's shell, gouging four tracks in the pink metal. "But what yah should be worried 'bout is what we're gonna do tah yer little friend here if yah don't cooperate!"

Ash shut up, though his jaws were still clenched tight and his fists balled up.

"That's better," said the blonde. "Now, if you don't want anything worse to happen to your girlfriend, step aside and let us have that nurse over there."

"Huh? No way!"

"Ah, ah, ah," said the Meowth as he dug in deeper, sparks flying from the cuts. "We're takin' her anyways. Yer choice whether or not nobody gets _hurt!"_

Ash was shaking, but he didn't move. He couldn't let them hurt Nurse Joy.

The Meowth sighed. "Ah well, I tried." Then he glanced over to the two Rocket Grunts. "Well? Whaddya waitin' fer, yah idiots?"

"Huh?" said the purple-haired one. "Oh, right!"

The two women then withdrew a pokeball each, expanded them, and threw. _"Ekans! Raticate! Go!"_

Ash gulped when a hissing purple snake and a giant brown rat with huge fangs materialized. He had barely survived an attack by wild Spearows. There was no way he would be able to handle these two!

But he still wasn't going to run. If these criminals wanted to take the two girls that had saved him, then they were going to have to do it over his dead body!

Unfortunately, that was looking more and more like that most likely outcome, and he doubted that they would have much trouble with that ultimatum.

Then Nurse Joy leaned in close and whispered, "Ash, your friend's Pokemon!"

For a moment Ash didn't understand what she meant. What friend? What Pokemon? He had come here alone, and he didn't have any-

Then he got it. The redheaded girl's Pokemon were still in his possession! When the power had gone out, he had quickly pocketed all the capture balls on the table, so the pokeballs were currently in his right pocket!

Thrusting his hand into his pocket, he grabbed two at random, activated them, and hurled them with both hands. "Uh, whatever Pokemon these are, I choose _you!"_

Both pokeballs spun through the air and then opened, exhaling two bright red beams of light. One of them congealed on the floor, forming a small, flopping fish.

"Goldeen, Goldeen," the fish said in a distressed, feminine voice. "Goldeen, Goldeen!"

" _Really?"_ Ash cried in dismay as the pokeballs returned to his hands. "A Goldeen?"

Shaking his hand, he returned the Goldeen to its pokeball before it could suffocate. Just his luck that he would end up with something like _that!_ Hopefully he had time to send out another, one that could actually fight!

But before he could grab for one, Nurse Joy suddenly hissed, "Ash!"

"Huh?"

Then he saw it, and he stared. The two Rocket Grunts saw it, and _they_ stared! The three Rocket Pokemon saw it, and _they_ stared.

The other red beam of light had also solidified into a living being, one that was most certainly _not_ a flopping fish. This one was taller, even taller than Ash, and stood upon two legs. Two… _very_ nice legs, which went up to a _very_ nice butt, which in turn continued on to a slender, naked back.

It was a human. Specifically, it was a human girl. Even more specifically, it was a _naked_ human girl, one that seemed to be around the same age as Ash and the redhead, maybe a year or two older, with short brown hair and lightly tanned skin.

All the heat that had flustered Ash so much in the shower suddenly returned. His mouth went dry, his head felt light, and it was suddenly very difficult to think.

"Wha?" said the Meowth. "Anudder PokeGirl? Kid, you jus' snatchin' up yer entire fourth grade class or somethin'?"

Well, to be completely accurate, the girl wasn't totally naked. She was wearing a pair of red-and-white shoes with brown socks, and there was a red bandana with a white pokeball symbol tied around the top of her head. Also, a rope bound her arms tightly behind her back, something that was weirdly common with a lot of PokeGirls for some reason.

"Oh, this raises so many unpleasant questions," Nurse Joy sighed.

The PokeGirl seemed quite bewildered by her surroundings. She made a weird, muffled sound, looking around at the darkened PokeCenter. Then she saw the two dumbfounded Rocket Grunts and made another muffled sound.

Then she turned around to stare at Ash and Nurse Joy.

That told Ash a number of things. First, the rope was also tied around the girl's front so as to push out her youthful breasts as much as possible. Second, her eyes were a pretty shade of blue. Third, there was a red ball in her mouth, one tied into place by a black band around her head.

Fourth, she clearly had _no idea_ what was going on, but would very much like to!

"Oh, I am not looking forward to logging this one," sighed the blonde Rocket Grunt.

"Capture them first, worry about the reports after," snapped the purple one.

The Ekans and the Raticate shook off their confusion, and started to advance.

"Mmmmmph!" the PokeGirl cried.

Before Ash could say or do anything, Nurse Joy pushed him aside and yelled out, "You! PokeGirl! What's your typing?"

"Mmmm _fyyyyrrrfff!"_

"Fire? Good. _Then use ember!"_

The PokeGirl blinked. Then she whirled back toward her opponents.

Before either of them could advance, the PokeGirl had thrown herself forward, rolled over her shoulders onto her back, and kicked both of her legs out. Two fireballs formed around her feet and shot right at the enemy.

They hit, and the Ekans and Raticate cried out in pain as they both ended up with blackened faces.

"Raticate!" shouted the blonde. "Shake it off and use hyper fang!"

"Focus on the Raticate!" Nurse Joy said in return. "Use _blaze kick!"_

The PokeGirl kipped up to her feet and took off running. She leapt into the air and sailed at the charging Raticate, one foot extended out.

Flames engulfed her foot, and her sole smashed into the Raticate's face. Shrieking, it fell back, now with one of its fangs only half the size of before.

"Oh, no you don't!" shouted the purple Grunt. "Ekans! _Constrict!"_

"PokeGirl!" Nurse Joy called. _"Fire punch!"_

The PokeGirl paused. Then she looked back over her shoulder to shoot Nurse Joy an irritated glare.

"Oh, uh, sorry! Try-"

But it was too late. The Ekans struck, wrapping itself tightly around the girl's chest. She squirmed and moaned as it its coils tightened harder and harder.

"Now, Ekans," purred the purple Grunt. "Put her down with a poison sting!"

The Ekans opened its mouth, venom dripping from its fangs.

Then Ash jumped in. "Uh, hey! Do you know flame wheel?"

Though she was clearly in great distress, the PokeGirl managed a nod.

" _Then use it! On the Raticate"_

Before the Ekans could sink its fangs into her flesh, the PokeGirl threw both herself and the attached Ekans at the dazed Raticate. She burst into flame, causing both the purple snake and large rat to cry out in pain at the impact and the fire, which loosened the Ekans's coils, allowing the PokeGirl to wriggle free.

"Firespin!" Ash cried. _"Now!"_

Again the girl threw herself onto her upper back and shoulders, but instead of kipping back up again she spun around and around, her legs windmilling in the air. Fire rose up around her in a burning tornado, enveloping both of her opponents.

Which is just what Ash had been waiting for.

Without waiting for the fiery whirlwind to die down, he darted forward, past the battle (wow, that tornado was _hot!),_ past the dumbstruck Rocket Grunts who were still staring slack-jawed as their Pokemon were roasted alive, past the front desk, and over to the Healing Machine, where the Meowth was still standing, just as stupefied by the inferno as his companions.

"Give me _that!"_ Ash seized the human ball in the Meowth's grasp and yanked it away. Then he sprinted back the way he came.

"Huh?" the Meowth said as it hopped off the Healing Machine and raced after Ash, claws extended. "Hey! Give that back, yah dumb dweeb!"

The fiery tornado died down, leaving two crisp Pokemon and one smug looking PokeGirl.

"Awesome!" Ash said as he raced past her. "You did great!"

Though she couldn't speak, the PokeGirl beamed at the praise.

Then she looked over to the Meowth and her face darkened.

"Give that back, or I swear I'll-"

The PokeGirl placed herself between Ash and the Meowth, her eyes blazing. A crimson aura materialized in the air around her, one looked as hot and angry as the fires she had been conjuring up.

"Uh…" The Meowth looked up. He gulped.

"What are you waiting for, Meowth?" demanded the purple-haired Grunt. "She's just a kid! Shred her!"

"Yeah, but…" the Meowth said as he slowly backed up. "Hey, is it hwot in here, or is it just-"

The PokeGirl drew her leg back, and the foot burst into flames.

"-oh."

…

Those who had been watching the strange happenings at the PokeCenter were suddenly treated to a new sort of strangeness, when one of the side windows exploded outward, courtesy of a small, smoking white bundle of fur.

The singed furry ball turned out to be a Meowth, one with a blackened footprint right across its face and singed whiskers. It tumbled gracelessly through the air and came to a rather painful landing across a white picket fence.

For a long moment the Meowth didn't move, though it did groan loudly in pain.

Finally it started to move, to try to right itself. "Humans," it muttered to itself. "Y'know, I miss it when we jus' tried tah steal Pokemon. Thin's never got weird wit' Pokemon, not like-"

And then his foot slipped and he fell.

"…Meowth…"

…

Both Cassidy and Jessie threw themselves to the floor to avoid being hit by Meowth's flying body. Seconds later there was the sound of shattering glass.

The two Grunts turned to glower at the smashed window. "All right," Cassidy said as she rose up. "Now I'm mad."

" _You're_ mad?" Jessie said. "Nobody cares about you! But do you have any idea what this is going to do to my record?"

Cassidy didn't bother to dignify something that idiotic with a direct response. "They're gone," she said.

"What?"

It was true. The boy, the Nurse Joy, and the surprise fiery PokeGirl had all fled the room, leaving the two Rocket Grunts alone.

"Oh, come on!" Jessie groaned. "Ekans, why didn't you stop them?"

Cassidy sighed. And then she pointed.

Both Raticate and Ekans were lying sprawled on side-by-side, their bodies blackened with soot, tiny flames at the end of Raticate's fur and Ekans's rattle. They seemed completely out of it.

"Ek-" coughed the snake, puffing out a small cloud of smoke.

"-cate," added Raticate.

"What?" Jessie said. "Get up and go _after_ them, you lazy bums!"

"Jessie, you idiot! They're clearly fainted!"

Jessie kicked a nearby support column in frustration. "Argh. _Useless!_ Cassidy, give me one of your PokeMon, I don't have any left!"

Cassidy ignored her. She was scanning the darkened PokeCenter lobby. The Healing Machine was out as a possibility, as with no power it was now inert.

Fortunately, there was a backup plan.

"Uh, didn't you hear me?" Jessie said. "I _said,_ give me one-"

Cassidy found it. In one corner were a trio of vending machines, one of which deposited things like chips, nuts, and candy bars, and another that held soft drinks, water bottles, and sports drinks.

As for the third, well, that one held things like antidotes, paralyze-heals, burn heals, and, most importantly, potions.

Cassidy slammed the sole of her boot into the glass, causing it to vibrate. Fortunately it wasn't made of Plexiglas, so a couple more kicks shattered it.

Clearing away the glass shards, Cassidy grabbed a handful of max-potions. "Here!" she said, tossing one to Jessie. "Get that worm freshened up! We have to stop them before they get away!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N:So basically PokeGirls fight like ATLA benders.
> 
> Also, I went back and changed all the PokeMon Pokemon. Yes, it was more consistent with PokeCenter, PokeGirl, etc., but it just didn't scan well, so out it goes!
> 
> Don't ask me about pokeballs though. Some things just make no linguistic sense.
> 
> And if human balls feel like a really uncreative name, blame the original rom hack.


	5. A PokeGirl Emergency, Part 3!

As Ash, Nurse Joy, and the mystery PokeGirl fled the front lobby together, Ash couldn't help but feel just a little elated. That had been his first battle, and he had won! In a two-on-one no less! Granted, he had only come in at the end, and the circumstances were…weird, but a victory was a victory, and he managed to save his friend too!

"That was some quick thinking with the flame wheel!" Nurse Joy said as the two ran through the back of the facility. "You just might be cut out for Pokemon training after all!"

"You mean it?"

"Sure! I mean, you probably won't be able to use _her,_ but you do have talent!"

"Wow, thanks!"

The PokeGirl nudged him with her bound elbow and winked at him in encouragement. Though Ash still didn't understand why she was tied up like that or why she didn't seem to have a problem with that, he still blushed at the gesture.

"Oh, uh, and you were amazing!" he said. "You totally saved us all back there!"

Though it was hard to tell with the red ball strapped to her mouth, it was clear that the PokeGirl was smiling in appreciation.

If Ash looked at her any longer he would be too flustered to focus on escaping, so he hastily turned his attention back to Nurse Joy. "So, uh, where are we going?"

"Out the back! With any luck, Chansey will be back with the police."

Ash nodded. Then he looked at the human ball in his hand, with its four cuts across the top. _At least she's okay,_ he thought as he shrank the ball down and stuck it into his pocket. _That's the important thing._

The three of them raced through the halls and into the back storeroom, where several boxes of supplies were stacked upon rows and rows of steel racks. The whole place was pitch-black, so Nurse Joy grabbed an emergency flashlight that was on the wall next to the door.

Nurse Joy shut and locked the door behind them. "Come on," she said as she led the two children into the storeroom. The back exit to the alleyway behind the PokeCenter was at the far end of the room.

They hadn't gone very far in when the door handle started rattling. They froze, and then turned back toward the door.

The handle kept shaking and shaking. Then they heard someone on the other side say, "It's locked!"

"Get out of my way, idiot! Houndour, burn us through!"

" _Houn,"_ a gruff voice growled. Moments later the door started to glow.

Ash froze. A _Houndour?_ They had a _Houndour?_

The piping hot fear and excitement that had been powering him on suddenly chilled as icy terror pour into his gut and then proceeded to flood his veins. The sound of gruff barking mixed with the furious yelling of an old man echoed from the back of his mind.

Nurse Joy and the PokeGirl kept running forward toward the exit, but then the PokeGirl glanced over her shoulder and, seeing Ash standing still, kicked at Nurse Joy's heels to get her attention.

Nurse Joy stopped and looked back in confusion. The PokeGirl inclined her head at Ash, who was still standing perfectly still, not moving at all save for the trembling of his hands.

"Ash?" Nurse Joy hurried back to him. "Ash, hurry up! We need to go!" She grabbed him by the arm and pulled him along.

Ash didn't immediately respond. His mind was at a time elsewhere, three years prior, a day that had been forever etched in his memory, the day he had accidentally wandered into old Mr. Garrison's backyard while playing hide-and-seek.

_Get out of here, you little piece of snot! Carl, sic that brat! Fire fang attack!_

The Houndour behind the door snarled with malicious intent, just as Carl had when Mr. Garrison had sent it after Ash, just as it had done so again and again in Ash's darkest dreams ever since. It couldn't be happening again, not another Houndour, not-

The PokeGirl got behind Ash and, planting the bottom of her foot against the small of his back, shoved him hard.

Ash stumbled, but the shock was enough to break him out of his fear-induced trance. "What?"

Then he saw Nurse Joy insistently pulling him along. "Uh, right! Let's-"

The door smashed in.

There they stood silhouetted in the doorway, the two Team Rocket Grunts, each with a flashlight. Coiled around the purple woman's shoulders and hissing angrily was the Ekans, and standing in front of the blonde with its claws bared in hate was the Raticate, both apparently fully healed from their beating, save for one of the Raticate's fangs, which still had part of it broken off.

But they had brought friends.

Standing in front of the pair was an inky-black canine shape, one with burning red eyes and a dark aura. It prowled forward, a deep, bass growl emanating from the back of its throat, the tips of its claws clicking against the concrete floor.

Ash whimpered.

The demonic hellhound looked up at him, looked directly _at_ him, and growled again. _"Houn!"_ it snarled, opening its jaws to reveal several knifelike teeth, dripping with drool the same color and consistency as burning pitch. And behind that, the back of its throat burned with hellfire, like the entrance to Hell itself.

The two Rocket Grunts turned their flashlights onto the trio, like spotlights illuminating runaway fugitives.

"Gotcha," said the purple Grunt.

"Ah!" Ash turned and ran as fast as his feet could carry him.

All rational thought had left him, leaving nothing but the desperate desire to _get away!_ It was worse than when he had been chased by the Spearows. He had been completely panicked then too, but this was different, this was deeper, this was primal, this was fueled by the memory of what had been, until today, the single most terrifying moment of his life. He focused on the exit and charged for it, grasping at his salvation.

Then he heard a high-pitched cackle.

Something darted past him on his right, a swift, dark shadow. Had it been his imagination? No matter. Only the exit mattered. He was almost there! He reached out for the handle…

And then the handle _moved,_ coiling around to swipe away his hand!

Ash stumbled back with a cry. What was _that?_

The shadows around the door then started moving, slithering in, collecting themselves over the door handle, taking form, taking shape, becoming a small, impish figure made of darkness itself.

The creature clutched to the door right over the handle, its large, bulbous head moving this way and that, as if it were sniffing the air.

Then it looked up at Ash, who found himself staring at a pair of glittering gemstone eyes.

Then a red gash slashed its way across the black void, opening into a leering mouth full of pointed teeth and a large, red, slobbering tongue.

" _Sableye!"_ it screeched.

Ash recoiled with a cry of disgust. He would had turned to run the other way, but he was stopped by Nurse Joy.

It was then that he came to a disheartening discovery: they were surrounded. The Ekans had slithered up the shelves along one side and was rearing up over them, hissing loudly. On the shelves on the other side, the Raticate was crouching, its tail swaying in anticipation, the jagged edge of where its tooth had been broken off gleaming like a knife.

And in the path between them and the door, the Houndour was continuing to stalk forward, its footsteps leaving sizzling black marks on the floor, its drool burning into the concrete, growling the whole way.

" _Sableye!"_ the little imp called again, and started cackling loudly.

Ash, Nurse Joy, and the PokeGirl clustered in tightly together, each facing out a different direction. Ash could feel the PokeGirl trembling where their shoulders touched. He understood her fear. She might have been able to take the Raticate and Ekans on her own with the benefit of surprise, but the other two changed the complexion of the situation. The Houndour would be able to shrug off her fire attacks long enough to answer with one of its own, assuming it didn't just dart in and bite someone's leg off. And Sableye were so notoriously elusive that it would have no trouble dodging everything she threw at it.

Besides, given their close quarters, it wasn't like she could just light things up without roasting her allies.

Still standing by the door to the hall, the two Rocket Grunts leered at the trio. "Oh, what's wrong?" said the purple one. "Can't set everything on fire anymore?"

"We really should've outnumbered them like this from the beginning," added the blonde.

"You mean _you_ should have," snapped the purple one. "Most of them are yours!"

"Hmmm, you know what? You're right. I'll keep that in mind next time you annoy me."

Maybe Ash could send out the rest of the redheaded girl's Pokemon? Surely they couldn't all be as useless as the Goldeen?

Then, as their enemies moved in closer, Ash suddenly had an idea.

"Hey!" he whispered to the PokeGirl. "Do you know smokescreen?"

The PokeGirl frowned. Then she shrugged.

"Well, can you _try?"_

A beat passed, and then the PokeGirl nodded.

"Do it, and get ready to run!"

"Got it," Nurse Joy said.

"All right, I don't see any reason to draw this out," said the blonde. "Kid, you had your chance. Could've just given us the girls and walked away. But now, once we're done with you, you'll need so many bandages that-"

The PokeGirl swept her foot across the floor in a half-circle, scraping up flames. Then she slammed her foot down.

A thick, black column of smoke exploded up from the ground, filling the already dark room and shrouding everything in black.

…

Coughing, Cassidy waved off smoke out of her face. That had been the third time today, and only one had been her doing!

"Stop them!" she called into the dark through coughs. "D-Don't let them…get away!"

"Uh…Rati?" said Raticate's voice out of the dark. It sounded unsure of what to do.

The smoke began to rise, at least enough for Cassidy to see Sableye and Houndour's glowing eyes, both of which were looking around in confusion. Presumably Raticate and Ekans were just as lost.

As for the Nurse Joy and the Amazing Brat Duo, they were gone.

"Where'd they go?" Jessie said. "I don't-" Then she sneezed.

Cassidy thought on that. There seemed to be only two ways in and out of the storeroom: the door in which she and Jessie stood and the back door still covered by Sableye, and they certainly couldn't have used either one of those.

Cassidy swept the beam of her flashlight through the rest of the room, illuminating the dark shapes of the rows and rows of shelves and boxes.

"They're still in here," she snapped. "Find where they're hiding and take them down!"

"Huh?" Jessie said. "But if we damage the merchandise-"

"Idiot! Headquarters has a Healing Machine! And they won't be worth anything if they get away." Then Cassidy returned her attention to their Pokemon. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go!"

…

As soon as the smokescreen went up, Nurse Joy had closed her eyes, grabbed the first hand that she could, and ran, feeling her way with her hand.

The PokeCenter's storeroom was fairly large, and the shelves weren't all in perfect rows, giving them plenty of corners, nooks, and other hiding places. Nurse Joy pressed on forward, hoping that the map in her head was correct, until they found themselves in a narrow alcove, one obscured by several stacks of boxes that had yet to be shelved.

Nurse Joy crouched down low, bringing the kid she had grabbed down with her. Judging by the feel of bare skin, it was the PokeGirl. The two cowered together, Nurse Joy hugging the poor girl to her breast.

She wondered how Ash was doing. This had been his idea, so presumably he had fled in a different direction. He still had the Gym Leader's Pokemon with him. Hopefully he would remember to use them if things got dire.

Which they most certainly would.

The PokeGirl whimpered through her ball-gag and pressed herself in closer to Nurse Joy. She was trembling hard from fear. Nurse Joy comfortingly ran her fingers through the girl's hair and quietly shushed her. The poor kid had to be terrified. She had fought bravely against the Ekans and Raticate despite having no idea what was going on, but things had taken a sharp turn for the worst. Now none of them were guaranteed to get out of this.

There came the sound of slithering from above, scales sliding over wood and metal. _"Ekanssss…"_ hissed from the dark.

Nurse Joy hugged the girl's head to her chest and did her best to stay still until the slithering passed. The most important thing now was to stay quiet. The lingering aftereffects of the smokescreen worked on both sight and smell; certainly her own nostrils were blocked by the sharp stench of what smelled like burning charcoal. That meant that the Team Rocket Pokemon needed to rely on hearing to find them.

Which meant that while the Ekans and Houndour were severely set back, they were still very vulnerable to the large ears of the Raticate and the Sableye.

Listening intently, Nurse Joy could hear their hunters moving through the storeroom, from the continued slithering of the Ekans in the shelves above to the hurried clicking of the Raticate's claws to the quick swoops and persistent gibbering of the Sableye to the heavier steps of the Houndour, which hissed with hellfire.

"Any sign of them?" one of the Rocket Grunts said.

"Of course not! Let the Pokemon search. You cover the backdoor, I'll stay with this one. They won't escape us!"

There was a pause, and then the other Grunt said in a much less sure tone, "Uh, is this really worth it though? I mean, the police will probably be here soon, and it's only three girls."

"It's not about that anymore! No one disrespects Team Rocket like that! If we can't profit off of this, then we'll set an example! _Find_ themand _take them down!"_

 _We're trapped,_ Nurse Joy realized. Backed into a corner. And the strange thing was that the thought didn't fill her with fear like it ought to. If anything, she felt more incredulous at the ridiculousness of it all, that her life as a free woman would end like this: cowering behind some boxes, holding onto a terrified, naked child, one that could probably incinerate her with her pinkie.

Nurse Joy wondered what was going to be done to them. Team Rocket were notorious for their illegal girl hunting, and what they were said to do to the girls they took was the stuff of nightmares.

"Come out, little brat," called one of the Rocket Grunts. "The more you make me search, the angrier I'll be when I find you!"

"Oh, Joy!" singsonged the other. "Nurse Joy! Why are you risking your life for those little twerps? Tell you what: give us the kids, and we'll let you go!"

A lie. Nurse Joys were in high demand on the PokeGirl black market. But if something didn't happen soon, that would be her fate regardless.

Suddenly the PokeGirl started to pull away from her. Alarmed, Nurse Joy seized her by the arm to stop her.

The PokeGirl shook her off and got her feet under her. _"What are you doing?"_ Nurse Joy said in as low a whisper as she was able.

Then the answer occurred to her a moment later. Despite her very justifiable fear, the PokeGirl was not going to just let them be found and captured. If she was going down, she was going down fighting.

Well, that was a noble compulsion, but also a foolish one. Until they actually were found, they still had options.

" _No."_ Nurse Joy grabbed her again to try to hold her back, but as she did, her elbow hit what felt like a tin can sitting on top of the stack of boxes they had been hiding behind.

The can slid off its perch and hit the floor with a loud clatter.

Immediately there came the sound of rapid scurrying, and at the far end of the dark aisle they were hiding in, a pair of crystalline eyes appeared.

" _Saaaaaaableeeeeeyyyyyyyyye!"_ shrieked the imp as it hurtled itself toward them.

…

Ash wasn't sure where he had gone once the smokescreen had hit. He had simply picked a direction and ran, taking several turns through the shelves of supplies, spare parts, and whatever else a PokeCenter might need to have on hand until finally huddling in a dark corner.

The confusion of their pursuers didn't last long, and soon all four of them were stalking through the storeroom. He could hear them hunting him.

And the closest was the Houndour.

Now that Ash was doing his best to stay as still as possible, the paralyzing fear was starting to come back. As much as he loved Pokemon, he had never gotten over having Mr. Garrison send his Houndour after Ash. Having it chase him while hearing that horrible hoarse growling had been bad enough, but being caught had been so much worse.

Ash had needed over twenty stitches and spent a full week in the hospital. Of course his mom had been furious, and had pressed charges. Ash never saw Mr. Garrison or his terrible Houndour ever again.

At least not when he was awake. But he would see them again, over and over, in his dreams. He would again feel that mindless terror, hear those guttural snarls, and feel those burning teeth close around his legs. Even after he awoke to find himself and tied up in sweat-soaked sheets, his leg would still hurt.

And now another Houndour was after him, and this one was probably far worse than Carl ever was.

Ash's whole body was shaking. He crouched down with his hands clasped over his neck as the growling grew closer and closer. The Houndour sniffed, sneezed, and kept moving. The smokescreen had only slowed it. Sooner or later he would be found.

What was he going to do? The PokeGirl had gone with Nurse Joy, and she wouldn't be much use against a Houndour! Ash was left defenseless, with no friends, no Pokemon-

Wait.

He _had_ Pokemon! The ones belonging to the redheaded girl were still in his pocket, and they all couldn't be as useless as the Goldeen!

Ash stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled them out. Okay, he had the two in-use human balls with the ones Alexander had given him, so that meant he had five possible Pokemon to use. One was a Goldeen, so that left four.

Expanding one at random, he carefully placed it on the ground and tapped it.

Despite being as quiet as possible, there was still the whine of escaping essence and the accompanied red light. The Houndour barked and started to come closer.

 _Come on, come on!_ Ash thought anxiously as the shape of the Pokemon formed. _Be something I can use!_

The red light took shape and solidified, becoming a ten-pointed star with a glowing red gemstone core.

Ash felt a surge of hope. A Starmie! Oh, a Starmie would work great! It was an evolved Pokemon, which meant it had to be at a respectable level, and it also was both water and psychic type, which meant it could take down the Houndour and the Ekans with ease! Okay, so the psychic typing left it vulnerable to the Houndour's dark-type attacks, to say nothing of _everything_ the Sableye had to offer, but-

Ash realized that he was wasting time reviewing everything he had learned at Pokemon Trainer Camp and decided to cut to the chase. The Starmie looked around in bewilderment at its surroundings. _"Hruuu?"_ it said in its ethereal, crystalline voice, clearly confused.

"Hi!" Ash said in a low voice. "Look, I don't have time to explain, but I'm a friend of your trainer, and there's a Houndour stalking me, so I need you to fight it off and-"

" _Hwah,"_ responded the Starmie, the contempt in its voice clear.

Then it dissolved into red light that swept back into its pokeball.

"What?" Ash seized the pokeball with both hands. "No, please! I'm serious here! Come back out-"

" _Houn…dor!"_

Ash looked up. At the end of the aisle were a pair of burning red eyes. The Houndour had found him.

…

It was somewhat fantastic to watch the PokeGirl go to war with the Sableye. She remained in one spot in the middle of the aisle, illuminated by a bright crimson aura, body and legs never staying still. She ducked, bent, and curved around, swiping the air with flaming kick after flaming kick, shooting off bursts of flame this way and that, her lithe, naked body shimmering with heat and glistening with sweat.

All the while, the Sableye continued to circle around her so quickly that he was only able to be registered as a swift shadow, zipping and darting from shelf to shelf, occasionally stopping long enough for Nurse Joy to see the glint of its eyes or of the scarlet gem in its stomach, only for it to leap off again. Here and there it would leap into the circle to take a swipe at the PokeGirl, only for her to gracefully dodge its attack and return with a blaze kick, which would miss by millimeters.

It was a mesmerizing performance, almost like a dance, each one of them keeping perfect time. Unfortunately, the longer it went on, the more it favored the Sableye. It could afford to take a couple of hits, but it needed only to hit the PokeGirl once, and both it and its allies would strike.

And speaking of which, Nurse Joy saw one of them now.

The Raticate emerged on the shelves above, glowering down at the display. In the glow of the PokeGirl's aura it looked particularly menacing, and the glint in its eyes couldn't be mistaken for anything but hate.

It crouched down low, ready to spring. And the PokeGirl didn't notice.

Nurse Joy was about to call out to warn her, but then she realized that would only distract the girl, allowing the Sableye to have an opening, which in turn would let the Raticate get her anyway.

Then Nurse Joy's hand fell upon something long, hard, and cold.

It was a pile of thin metal pipes, no doubt intended for plumbing maintenance. Keeping her eye on the Raticate, Nurse Joy slid one from the pile and held it tightly behind her back. Then she took a deep breath to compose her nerves.

The Raticate crouched down low to strike, but before it could Nurse Joy leapt up and swung the pipe as hard as she could, hitting the large rodent in its side. It didn't succeed in knocking it over, but it did leap back with a yelp of pain.

Unfortunately, that also accomplished what Nurse Joy had been fearing.

Startled by Nurse Joy's sudden movement, the PokeGirl spun towards her and kicked an ember attack in her direction. Nurse Joy just barely had time to throw herself back to avoid getting scorched. Even so, she felt the front of her blouse singe from the passing flame.

The PokeGirl stiffened in shock when she saw what she had almost done, and that proved to be her undoing. The Sableye swooped in and sank its teeth into her calf. The PokeGirl's eyes bulged out and she let out a muffled scream from behind her gag.

 _No,_ Nurse Joy thought as she watched in horror as the PokeGirl fell to her knees, the back of her leg bleeding from a dozen punctures. Gibbering endlessly, the Sableye wasted no time scampering up her back, pausing to hump the back of her head, and then it leapt on top of her head, leaned over, and slobbered all over her face with its tongue.

"Get away from her!" Nurse Joy cried. She got up to charge forward, pipe in hand, but before she did, she heard the dry sound of rattling, like dead trees being shaken.

" _Ekanssssss!"_

A moment later Nurse Joy felt her own calf being punctured as if by a pair of needles. She tried to shrug it off, but her leg suddenly stopped responding. A strange, numbing chill was sweeping through her body, from her calf upward, shutting her down as it went.

Nurse Joy tried to crawl, but then her arms lost strength, becoming dead, wooden things, and she fell. She tried to roll over, but she didn't even have the strength for that. She tried to cry out in warning, but her tongue felt thick and swollen, and her throat had closed up, making it difficult to even breathe. All she could do was lie helplessly, watching as the Sableye flipped over the PokeGirl's head and pressed its claws against both of her small breasts. Seizing her nipples, it twisted them painfully, making her cry out. Then it rolled back over its shoulders onto its feet and opened its mouth wide.

Dark energy collected inside of its mouth, forming a pulsing black sphere, one that hummed with evil intent. It grew and grew, until it nearly filled the entirely of its mouth.

" _Sabl_ EEEEEYYYYYYYEEEEE!" it screamed as the shadow ball launched out from its maw, striking the PokeGirl in the stomach and launching her head-over-heels.

…

Though his face still stung from being burned and his stomach still hurt from landing on that fence, Meowth was still on his own two feet, making his way back toward the fray.

"Ken't believe dis went like dis," he muttered to himself as he rubbed the soot from his face. "Bad enuff that there ain't nuttin' worth takin'. Now some stupid kid gotta sic his crazy girlfriend on us. The heck was ups with dem anyway? Dey're _kids!_ Dey ain't supposda have PokeGirls or _be_ PokeGirls! What's dis world comin' to anyways?"

As he neared the sidewalk that would take him back to the PokeCenter, he paused. His ears twitched. Had he just heard something?

When nothing leapt out at him, he continued walking.

"Betcha anythin' dose two idiots managed to bungle it up wit'out me," he muttered. "You'd tink wit' Miss High 'n Mighty on dah team, we'd actually start gettin' somewheres. But no, turns out dat she's jus' as much a screwup as James! Seriously, dah bosses need'ta step up the hiring-"

He paused again. Then he whirled around, claws bared.

"All right, I know someone's our der!" he called. "So come on out, before I scratch you out!"

For a moment, nothing happened.

And then a form stepped out of the shadows, a burly, four-footed form with embers in its eyes.

It looked Meowth over and barked, "Grow _lithe!"_

Meowth froze, not just because he was a cat in the presence of a larger dog, but also because he had realized what the arrival of that particular kind of dog meant. "Oh, _shi-_ "

…

The Houndour was advancing out of the dark, growling the whole way, every step burning. It was Ash's nightmares given flesh, his deepest, darkest fear come alive to torment him.

Shaking with terror, Ash continued to back up until his back hit the shelf. No way to go. No escape. No-

Then he felt his hand touch metal cylinder sitting on one of the shelves. His fingers brushed over the top, finding an apparatus of metal, plastic, and tubes.

Ash inhaled sharply. It couldn't be.

The Houndour stopped advancing. It crouched down low, preparing to spring.

Another memory suddenly flared to life in Ash's mind, another from Pokemon Trainer Camp. _If any of you kids want to train fire Pokemon, then you have to be prepared!_ the instructor had said. _Fire types are dangerous and unpredictable, and you never know when things will get out of hand! So you'll need to have and know how to use a-_

"AAAAHHHHH!" Ash screamed as he seized the fire extinguisher, yanked the pin loose, and pressed down on the switch, just as the Houndour leapt.

A cone of cooling foam exploded out, striking the Houndour right in its open jaws. Its gruff roar suddenly turned into a squeal of surprise and pain as it was launched backward and sent sprawling.

Ash didn't stop. He just kept spraying and yelling until the Houndour was buried in foam and the fire extinguisher ran empty. Fortunately, it had been sitting next to others, so he grabbed another and kept spraying.

"What the…Houndour!" one of the Rocket Grunts called. It sounded like the blonde one. "What are you whimpering about?"

"He's probably found one of them!" said the other. "Though it doesn't sound like he was as tough as you made him out to be."

Then Ash heard footsteps.

The Houndour wasn't moving, and Ash wasn't going to wait for it to wake up. He ran forward and rounded a corner just in time to see the two Rocket Grunts striding forward to investigate.

They locked eyes with him, and he locked eyes with them. The blonde one's brow raised in surprise, as the purple one opened her mouth to say something, probably to call for help.

So he sprayed more foam into their faces.

"Argh!" Blinded, they stumbled back, clutching at their faces and practically running into one another.

The can ran empty, so Ash did the only thing he could do: he threw it at their heads.

There was a very satisfying sound of metal hitting flesh, followed by a cry of pain, but Ash wasn't going to wait around to see the results. He ran forward, praying that he wasn't too late to save the others.

…

The PokeGirl was curled into an agonized ball, twitching and shaking as dark energies crackled around her body, and Nurse Joy was helpless to do anything but watch. Though most of the feeling had left her body, she was aware that something long and sinuous was slithering around her body, wrapping her up in its coils.

Cackling at its handiwork, the Sableye then scampered around on all fours to look at her. "Ah, _Sableye,"_ it said, its voice now a pleased purr. It stood up on two feet and began to walk toward her, almost casual in how confident it was.

Nurse Joy watched as it got closer and closer. It big, slimy tongue flopped out. "Saaaableeeeyyyyeeee," it growled. Nurse Joy did not know what it intended for her, but she was certain that it was going to haunt her dreams for years to come, assuming she survived long enough to have dreams.

The Sableye opened its mouth wide. "Sable-"

Suddenly a pair of bare legs stretched out of nowhere to wrap themselves around its body and squeezed tight like a vice.

"-eye!"

The PokeGirl was up! She was obviously still wracked with pain, her eyes wet with tears, but she was up and she had managed to get her legs around the Sableye, trapping it in place. It screamed and clawed at her legs, leaving painful red lines, but she didn't let go. It was too late for it.

"Mmm _pppphhhh!"_ A slender column of flame burst up around the Sableye, shooting up high and hot enough to burn right through the roof. The Sableye let out a hoarse scream, but not for long.

When the fire cut out, the thing she released from her legs was still as dark as a shadow, but the gems in its eyes and stomach were as black as the rest of it. Also, it now smelled of charcoal. It flopped over lifelessly right onto its face like a dropped stuffed animal.

"Ek-" the snake squeezing around Nurse Joy started to say, but the PokeGirl kicked both of her legs out, hitting it in the face with two jets of flame.

The Ekans's scorched head flopped onto the ground next to Nurse Joy's face, and its coils loosened.

The two hurting and tired girls locked weary eyes with one another. The PokeGirl sighed and nodded.

Then they heard the sound of something scratching across the floor. They both turned their gaze to see the Raticate approaching.

Seeing that it had been spotted, the Raticate froze in place. It looked over to the crispy body of the Sableye, and then over to the lifeless Ekans. Its brow furrowing in uncertainty, the big rodent then looked back to the PokeGirl.

Though she was clearly on her last legs, the PokeGirl's eyes burned with defiance. Her scarlet aura picked up in strength.

That seemed to do it. The Raticate made a decision. "Ra," it muttered, and then bowed its head and slowly back away. When it had fully sank into the shadows it turned and scampered away.

The two of them slumped with relief. Or rather, the PokeGirl slumped, leaning back against the shelves with her legs spread out, eyes closed in fatigue. Nurse Joy just continued to lay there with an unconscious and somewhat roasted Ekans still wrapped around her immobile body, but at least she was doing so a little less worried now.

Elsewhere, a commotion was going on. She could heard the blonde Rocket Grunt yelling…something, followed by what sounded like swiftly escaping gas, followed by more yelling, this time without words.

Moments later Ash ran into view.

Oh good. So they weren't dead yet. That was a nice change of pace.

…

In the darkened bathroom just outside of the storeroom, Cassidy and Jessie hastily washed the foam from their faces.

It was not a pleasant experience. Cassidy's face felt like it had been shoved into a snowbank, and now even the feel of room temperature air felt painfully hot. Some had gotten into her mouth, and now each breath felt like it was blistering her throat.

But that all paled in comparison to the humiliation of having been outsmarted by a kid.

"That…stupid…little…twerp!" Jessie was muttering as she rubbed the lump that was rising on her forehead, courtesy of a flying fire extinguisher. "When I get my hands on him, I'm going to wring his scrawny pencil neck and make his girlfriend watch!"

For once, Cassidy was in complete agreement. "Hopefully the Pokemon left us a few pieces," she said. "Though I doubt there's going to be much left once-"

"Ra!"

Cassidy and Jessie both turned to the door to find a small, squat shape. Cassidy turned on her flash to illuminate Raticate.

"Raticate, what are you doing here?" she demanded. "You're supposed to be gnawing legs in half!"

Raticate anxiously jumped up and down, waving its claws in the air. "Cate! Ratiraticate! Rati! Raticate!"

"Cassidy, what is it saying?" Jessie said.

"How should I know? Do I look like I speak Pokemon?"

Jessie sighed. "Oh, if only Meowth were still here."

Frustrated, Raticate stuck out its tongue and waggled it around in a pretty good imitation of Sableye. Then it stuck both claws into the air and mimed an agonized scream. Than it whipped around and got down on all fours, its tail shaking in imitation of a rattle while it hissed like Ekans. Than it punched itself in the face twice, whirled around, and lay flat on the ground.

"I…did you get any of that?" Jessie said. "I was never good with Pictionary."

Cassidy had, and it made her blood boil. "It's saying that the PokeGirl took out both Sableye and Ekans," she said.

"What?" Jessie gasped. "Both of them?"

"Yes."

"But how? They should have-"

Both fists clenched at her side, Cassidy threw her head back and shrieked to the high heavens, unleashing weeks of resentment, frustration, anger, embarrassment, and pure rage with a single scream.

Raticate fled into the hall, its claws covering its ears, while Jessie stumbled backward in shock. Cassidy took no notice. Her cry grew and grew in volume and sharpness, until the mirrors over the sinks shattered, sending shards falling.

Finally it tapered off, and when it did, it left nothing but relentless determination.

"Wow," Jessie said, filling the silence that followed. "Are you _sure_ you're not a PokeGirl? One that knows sonic boom?"

Cassidy ignored the jab. "Come on!" she said as she stormed toward the door. "Let's go kill those twerps."

There was a pause, and then Jessies scrambled to her feet behind her. "You know, I have no problem whatsoever with that!"

…

Ash's legs almost gave way with relief when he saw that his two new friends were okay. Or at least, alive and not captured yet.

Still, they didn't seem to be in great shape. Nurse Joy was lying on the floor, a somewhat peeved expression on her face. Coiled around her was the Ekans, which fortunately seemed to have fainted, and judging by the big black spot on its face, it wasn't hard to guess why.

In the center of the aisle lay an unmoving goblin-shape, smoke still rising from its body. The Sableye, also fainted and a bit on the toasted side. Another win for the good guys.

And sitting with her back to the shelves was the night's reigning champion, though she looked pretty worse for the wear as well. The PokeGirl still had her arms tied up and her mouth gagged, but she didn't seem to care about that. Of more pressing concern were the gashes in her legs, or the bleeding in her calf. She was slouching back in exhaustion, her chest slowly rising and falling with each deep breath, her eyes closed. She didn't seem to be unconscious though. Her body still shone with a faint, yet persistent, red aura, a sure sign that despite the beating she had taken she was not out of it yet.

Hearing him approach, the PokeGirl cracked one eye open. Then her eyes crinkled as she smiled at seeing him.

Relief welled up within him, almost bringing him to tears. No matter how this day tried to bring them down, they were staying alive. Ash cleared his throat and said, "Uh, g-glad you guys are…alive. Are you okay?"

He immediately cringed. 'Are you okay?' What a stupid question!

And the PokeGirl agreed. She rolled her eyes, and turned her leg over so that he could see the bleeding bite marks on the calf.

"Oh. Uh, right. So…"

Then the PokeGirl sighed and titled her head to Nurse Joy, who still hadn't moved, though her eyes were open and alert.

The PokeGirl tilted her again again, with more urgency this time. The message was clear. _Help her first._

"Er, okay!" Ash rushed to Nurse Joy's side and knelt down. "So, what happened to you?" he said as he unraveled the coils of the unconscious Ekans and pulled it off of her.

Nurse Joy looked annoyed at the question. Her mouth opened ever-so-slightly and she croaked out, "Prrrrr…"

"Uh, what? Prrrrr…imeape?"

Nurse Joy exhaled sharply through her nose. Then she tried again. "Prrrraaaaiiiiiisssss…"

"Prai-Oh!" Ash suddenly got it. "Paralysis! You've been paralyzed!"

Nurse Joy blinked her eyes in confirmation. Then she moaned out, "Paaaaaaaaeeeehhhh…"

"Puppet?" Were they now dealing with a Shuppet too?"

Behind him, the PokeGirl sighed loudly.

Nurse Joy grunted a negative. "Paaaaahhhhggggeeeeehhhh-"

"Oh! Pocket!"

Ash grabbed Nurse Joy's shoulders and eased her over onto her back. Fortunately the pocket was in plain sight, right in the bottom-left corner of her apron.

It felt weirdly perverse to go digging into the pockets of a paralyzed woman, even while under her instructions, but Ash ignored the weirdness and stuck his hand in. Thankfully, inside were a number of Pokemon care items, including a couple of miniature potions, an antidote, and a paralysis heal. Success!

Unscrewing the cap, Ash pressed the paralysis head against Nurse Joy's neck and pressed the injector. There was a hiss, and the tensed muscles started to relax.

That done, Ash turned his attention to the much more awkward task of tending to the PokeGirl.

She was still slouching against the shelves, eyes closed again. Though she had yet to pass out, it was clear that she had been pushed to her limit.

The two potions in hand, Ash knelt down next to her. "Okay, hold still," he said. "This'll help."

The PokeGirl didn't open her eyes, but she did give him a slight nod. Ash unscrewed the potion lids and gently sprayed them over her injuries.

"Um, I'm Ash, by the way," he said. "I know this is all very weird and confusing, but I promise that I'm your friend. And as soon as we're safe, I'll explain everything, or, uh, at least the parts I understand, because this is so weird that I…"

Ash's voice slowly trailed off, not because he had run out of things to say, but because as he sprayed the potions up and down her bare, glistening legs, he had been struck by the realization that she just might be the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

He had seen PokeGirls before, of course. Pallet Town's lack of a Gym or even a PokeCenter meant that it didn't get a lot of traffic from trainers, but they came through on occasion, and he had of course seen PokeGirl battle against both Pokemon and each other on TV, which meant that despite his young age, he had seen his fair share of nudity. Naked girls weren't that big of a deal, provided that they had been caught properly, and any horny kid looking for bare breasts or butts would have no trouble finding them.

But Ash had never seen a PokeGirl his own age before, a kid like he was. Just fantasizing about the possibility with the redheaded girl in the shower had almost overwhelmed him with arousal, but here was the real thing, her young, slender body as nude as can be, without a hint of embarrassment. He was entranced by her, from how the sweat dripped down her cheeks and the tips of her hair to splash onto her shoulders and collarbone; to how her tiny, pink nipples were standing stiff on her small, budding breasts; to her slim, toned stomach that was honestly making him wish he had devoted more time to sit-ups; to her rosy little slit that pushed up through the soft mound between her legs; which were long and athletic, lovely even with the punishment they had taken.

And it wasn't just because she was pretty. And to be clear, Ash thought that she was _very_ pretty, almost as pretty as the redheaded girl! But it was also the tantalizing paradox of everything about her, that someone could be so young and yet so confidently sensual, so strong and yet so vulnerable, so powerful and yet so soft. If the redheaded girl was everything he wanted to be as a trainer, then this girl was everything he just wanted, period.

And he did want her, and badly at that. It had little to do with her being a PokeGirl; he just wanted _her,_ in the most primal of ways. It had nothing to do with logic or reason or morality or anything that had to do with higher brain functions. It was pure need. He _yearned_ for her, _ached_ for her, _desired_ her more than anything. His loins were aflame, his penis ramrod straight to the point that it was almost painful, begging to be used, begging to be plunged into her soft, yielding crevices, to heard her cry out in pleasure, to have her want him as much as he wanted-

"Hrmph."

Ash looked up and very nearly choked. The PokeGirl's baby-blue eyes were open, and she was staring right at him. But not in the manner he would have preferred. Rather, they seemed rather annoyed, exasperated, but also tinged with amusement. She apparently had been watching him just crouch there and leer at her for quite a bit.

Once again the haze of lust that had enveloped Ash's mind was snuffed out by pure embarrassment. She _knew._ She knew full well what he had been thinking and feeling, that despite her risking her very life to save both him and Nurse Joy, a couple of strangers, and getting hurt for it, she still couldn't even take a rest without the only ambulatory member of their party wasting precious seconds to ogle her. And that obviously irritated her, but also struck her as rather funny.

"Sorry!" he said, leaping back from her. "I didn't mean to, uh, I didn't-"

Snickering, the PokeGirl shook her head. She moved her legs around and tried to stand up.

Then her legs buckled and she stumbled forward, into Ash.

Ash instinctively grabbed her by the shoulders to help steady her. "Careful," he said, helping her sit up. "You're still-"

Then he became immediately, _intensely_ aware of his skin on hers, of the soft flesh beneath his palms and the surprisingly strong muscle layered beneath. She was very warm to the touch, like stretching out on a sun-warmed rock on a balmy summer's day.

Ash froze up _again._ The wave of hot desire rose up again in response to the touch, and he wanted nothing more than to keep touching her, to let his fingers roam over bare skin and plunge into her deepest of places, to feel more of her warmth as their bodies pressed into one another, nothing covering them and getting in the way, the two of them joining together and penetrating into one another in every way they could-

"Ash!"

Ash flinched at the sound of his name. Nurse Joy had shaken off the paralysis and was struggling to stand. And she had no doubt taken note of the young boy's hormonal episode and gotten annoyed at it.

"Sorry," he whispered, but then he noticed that he was still holding the PokeGirl by the shoulders, and she was now looking over her shoulder at him, eyebrow askew as if expecting him to do something.

Ash hastily pulled his hands away. "Sorry!" he said again, louder this time.

"Forget it, Ash," Nurse Joy said, slurring her words as she struggled with her numb lips and tongue. "We don't have time. Is she okay?"

"I, uh…" Ash looked again to the PokeGirl, who had stretched her legs out again and was now glowering at them in irritation.

To his dismay, while the little cuts had sealed up, the bite marks on her calf remained. They were a little smaller now, but still trickling blood, no doubt why she still couldn't stand.

"I don't understand," he said. "I gave her the potions!"

"Clearly they weren't enough," Nurse Joy muttered. "They are pretty weak, and she did take a lot of damage." She braced her palms against the shelf behind her and grunted as she forced herself up. "Give me a hand here."

Ash hurried over to support her. "Are you all right?" he said as he put his shoulders under her arm to help boost her up.

"Yes. Just…still a little weak." She looked at the two disheveled children and sighed. "All right, we'd better go. Uh, PokeGirl? I'm sorry I don't know your name, but you'd better go back into your human ball for now."

The PokeGirl stiffened in surprised. Then her eyes narrowed.

"I understand you still want to fight, but you can't walk on that leg. We've already won for now, so we have to focus on escape!"

As if to further prove her point, they heard the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching the melted door. "When I get my hands on those brat…" one of the Rocket Grunts was saying.

"Right now what we need is speed," Nurse Joy continued.

The PokeGirl still looked unsure. She shot a glance to Ash, as if silently asking for his input.

Realizing that he was the one who still had her human ball and thus would be the one responsible for safety, he said, "I-I promise I won't let anything happen to you! You'll be safe with me!"

That…probably wasn't what she wanted to hear, but she still seemed charmed regardless, or at the very least found his hopeless earnestness endearing. She sighed, chuckled, and shook her head. Then she looked back to Ash and nodded.

"Right! Okay…" Ash stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handful of capture balls.

Five of them were the redheaded girl's pokeballs, and those were useless right now. Two of them were human balls, one of which had its top half gouged. Okay, that was the one that still had the redheaded girl. The other one was it.

Expanding the human ball, Ash pointed it at the PokeGirl. "Uh, return?"

It worked. The top of the ball opened, and the PokeGirl's body dissolved into red light, when was then swallowed up by the human ball.

"I still have a lot of questions about that girl," Nurse Joy said as she slapped some life back into her legs.

"Huh? But she saved us!"

"I'm not denying that, but even so…" Nurse Joy sighed. "Oh, we can worry about that later. Let's go!"

Ash hastily shrunk the ball down and shoved the lot into his pocket, and the two rushed (well, Ash did anyway. Nurse Joy more of hobbled quickly along) to the back door. They almost made it when a gloved hand reached out from around the corner to grab at them.

"Stop right there!" the blonde Rocket Grunt snapped. She seized Ash by the ear and wrenched it painfully.

"Ah!" Ash screamed as he was yanked back.

"Oh, you stupid little boy," the Rocket Grunt said. "Do you know what happens to stupid little boys who meddle with adult affair? They get-"

Reacting purely on instinct, Ash punched her.

In the boob.

Apparently she wasn't expecting that, as she let out a surprised _oof_ and released him.

"YAAAAAAH!" Ash barreled into her, tackling her at the waist and driving her back. Of course it was a dumb move, one performed purely out of desperation. She was older, taller, and stronger than he, and once she got her wits back she would be able to overpower him with ease, so he really was doing the only thing he could do: flail around and hope he got lucky.

He did.

There was something sticking out of the high shelves nearby. It was impossible to make out what they were in the dark, but they were square, metal, and had an edge sticking out just a little bit past the edge of the shelf, easily avoided if the lights worked and you saw where you were going.

Neither of those applied. There was a sharp _thud_ as the back of the Rocket Grunt's head hit the edge of the object and she dropped.

Ash gawked at the lifeless woman lying at his feet. Oh no, had he killed her? He hadn't meant to! True, he had been doing a lot of things that he didn't mean to do today, but he had never wanted to _kill_ anyone, no matter how bad they were!

Then the Rocket Grunt groaned. Oh, thank goodness, she was still alive. But what was he supposed to do now, just leave her?

"Ash, run!" Nurse Joy cried as she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him away.

Apparently yes.

The two burst through the back door and into the alley. After being cooped up in that smoky storeroom, the clean, cool night air revitalized Ash, giving him a fresh burst of energy.

"Come on!"

The city streets were dead ahead. He and Nurse Joy joined hands and turned to run.

"Gotcha!"

Ash and Nurse Joy whirled around. The purple Rocket Grunt was there, and she was _incensed!_ Her face was beet-red with rage, the fingers of her left hand curled into trembling claws, while a tire iron was clutched in her right. On her forehead was a bright purple bruise. Well, that told Ash which one he had hit with the fire extinguisher at least.

"Do you have…any idea…how much you've humiliated me today?" she said as she advanced on the pair.

Ash quickly made sure that the still-recovering nurse was behind him. "Get back!"

The Rocket Grunt ignored him. "This was supposed to be an easy job! But now I have to report losing to a stupid twerp, his exhibitionist girlfriend, and a Nurse Joy! This is all Cassidy's fault! At least when I worked with James our failures were funny the day after!"

No question about it, Ash had to use one of the redheaded girl's Pokemon. Hopefully it wouldn't be the Goldeen or the Starmie. He thrust his hand into his pocket.

There was nothing there.

"But at least I'll have this!" the Grunt said. "At least I'll have this!"

Ash was starting to panic. Why weren't the pokeballs there? Why were they gone! And…oh no, did he lose _both_ of the girls? How had he done that?

He anxiously stuck his hand into his other pocket. To his surprise, the number of capture balls in there had multiplied. Oh no, in his haste he had stuck both girls and the Pokemon into the same pocket as the human balls!

No time! He grabbed one between two fingers and pulled it out.

"Jessie used tire iron!" the Rocket Grunt cackled as she charged at the pair, swinging the metal bar wildly. "It's super-"

Ash hurled the ball, praying that it was one of the pokeballs, and that the Pokemon inside would at least help defend them.

It wasn't.

The human ball hit the Grunt next to the bruise on her forehead when she was less than a meter away. "Ow!" She dropped the tire iron and recoiled, clutching at her head. The human ball started to drop.

Then it paused in midair. Its top popped open, and the Rocket Grunt vanished into a scarlet beam of light, which was then swallowed up by the human ball.

Ash's jaw dropped.

The human ball fell to the ground. As Ash and Nurse Joy stared, it shook once as the captive woman struggled to escape. Then it shook again.

 _Any second now,_ Ash thought. _Any second now, and she's going to burst out. And she's going to be ticked off!_ At least he had bought them a few moments, enough to find one of the pokeballs and-

The human ball shook a third time and then sat still. There was a clicking sound, followed by a ding, and the red light on the circular lock button cooled to white.

Ash choked.

"Well, you're…making quite the collection," Nurse Joy remarked.

"I didn't mean…" Ash sighed. Not again.

"I never said that you did, just…" Nurse Joy sighed. "Oh well. We'll just hand her over to the police."

Ash gingerly picked up the inert human ball, shrank it down, and put it in his jacket's breast pocket to keep it apart from the others. "Where are they though?" he said. "Didn't you say your Chansey went to go get them?"

"It did." Nurse Joy frowned. "Look, the park's right across the street, and it has a payphone. Let's go give them a call and see if they got the message."

…

Back in the storeroom, Cassidy lay listless, her breasts aching and her head swimming.

"Ugh," she said as she stared up into darkness. "Mother, please don't hit me again. I swear I've been bad. I cheated on the quiz just like you said! Just because I passed doesn't mean I studied!"

Then she heard footsteps.

Frowning, Cassidy turned her head. She couldn't see much, just a vague figure walking toward her.

"Butch?" she said. "Is that you? Have you finally come to save me?"

There was a click, and a beam of light hit her right in the face.

Cassidy flinched. With her headache, it felt like someone was grinding sand into the back of her eyes. "Stop it," she said groggily, shooing the person away. "That hurts."

The beam moved a little, still keeping her in the light but no longer hitting her in the face, and Cassidy saw a young woman with turquoise hair, one who was wearing a blue police uniform. Accompanying her was a serious-faced Growlithe.

"Rocket Agent Cassidy?" said the young woman.

Cassidy blinked. "Oh," she said. "Well. Shit."

Officer Jenny of the Viridian City Police Department smiled. "Consider yourself under arrest," she said. "And in _big_ trouble."

…

As Ash anxiously waited outside of the phone booth, Nurse Joy sighed and hung up the phone. "We're in luck," she said. "Chansey made it after all. The police entered the PokeCenter from the front just as we were leaving from the back. They already have the other Rocket Grunt and all their Pokemon in custody, as well as that talking Meowth."

"Really? Wow, that's…" Ash sighed. "That's a big relief."

Nurse Joy nodded. "They told us to wait here. They're sending someone to pick us up."

"Right now?"

"Soon. Why?"

Ash uncomfortably shifted from one foot to the next. "Uh, well…"

Nurse Joy sighed. "You have to go to the bathroom, don't you?"

Ash nodded vigorously.

"Fine." Nurse Joy pointed at the park's public bathroom. "Hurry up. I'll tell them to wait if they get here first."

"Thank you!" Ash rushed to the squat, brick building that sat on one of the park's paths.

Wincing, Nurse Joy limped over to a nearby bench and sat down. The paralysis had mostly worn off, but it was leaving her muscles sore as a result, and her leg still ached where the Ekans had bitten her.

This had been, no doubt, the worst evening of her life. And the strangest. While she was glad that things had turned out all right in the end, it baffled her that Team Rocket had attacked in the first place. Of all the cities in Kanto region, Viridian City was one that they had mostly left alone. Heck, it had one of the lowest crime rates in the region, something people always attributed to its great infrastructure and vigilant police department. For them to do something so brazen as assault the PokeCenter was certainly out of character.

Well, at least they had failed. The Grunts were going to jail, and their Pokemon no doubt were to be sent to a special Pokemon rehabilitation center. All's well that ends well.

Of more pressing concern were the two PokeGirls. The issue with the young Gym Leader ought not to cause much issue. It had been a life-or-death situation, so all they had to do was let her out of the human ball and officially release her. No harm, no foul. But the other one though, the fire-type, _that_ could be an issue. Having underage trainers run Pokemon Gyms wasn't necessarily unheard of or even all that rare, but it was a contentious subject in many circles, and if it got out that an underage Gym Leader was keeping another minor as a PokeGirl, and in a clearly sexual manner at that, then there was going to be quite the outcry against Ash Ketchum's savior.

The poor kid probably wasn't going to like that. It was clear that he had become quite a bit infatuated with both PokeGirls, and would be horrified at having gotten them in trouble. But Nurse Joy didn't know how else things would go. In the end, one had to do what was best in the long run, and one child keeping another as a PokeGirl surely wasn't that!

As she sat there contemplating, she heard the sound of sirens. Moments later a police car pulled up next to where she was sitting.

Finally. Sighing, Nurse Joy stood up.

Out of the police car came Viridian City's Officer Jenny. Nurse Joy actually knew her quite well. They weren't exactly close friends, but they had ran into each other several times during their respective duties, and always made time to chat.

"Thank goodness you're here," Nurse Joy said.

"Hello, Joy," Officer Jenny said. There was a strange look on her face, one that seemed almost sad.

Nurse Joy approached her. "So like I told the receptionist over the phone, I-"

Suddenly Officer Jenny grabbed her, spun her around, and slammed her against the side of the car. Nurse Joy choked. "What are you-"

"Quiet," Officer Jenny sighed. She wrestled Nurse Joy's hands behind her back snapped a pair of handcuffs over wrists. "Nurse Joy, you are under arrest for conspiring with Team Rocket. You have the right to remain silent, and please, _please_ use it. Make this easier on both of us, okay?"

"On…what? Conspiring with Team Rocket? Are you insane?"

Without a word, Officer Jenny opened the back door of her police car and shoved Nurse Joy inside. The door locked as soon as it was shut.

Stunned, Nurse Joy sat still as she watched Officer Jenny walk around the car to slide into the driver's seat. Moments later, they were on their way.

"Jenny," Nurse Joy said. "What's going on? Why are you doing this?"

There was a long pause, and for a moment Nurse Joy thought that she was going to be ignored.

But then Officer Jenny sighed. "Because you saw too much."

"What? Saw what? What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry that it had to come to this, but I have no choice. This is Viridian City after all." Officer Jenny glanced over her shoulder at Nurse Joy, her eyes sad and regretful. She took her police badge off of her breast and lifted it for Nurse Joy to see. She pressed a hidden button on its side, and the front popped open.

Within was a large scarlet R.

"And Viridian City belongs to Team Rocket."

…

After Ash had finished evacuating his bowels and cleaned up, he found himself struck with a sudden sense of uncertainty.

Nurse Joy was still waiting for him outside, and soon the police would come to pick them up. The Rocket Grunts were officially defeated, and soon Ash could finally start his Pokemon journey, and got to start it with a victory over Team Rocket. Not even that stupid Gary could claim that!

But now that he was starting to calm down, he realized that he had a problem on his hands.

The police would no doubt have him hand over the human ball with the Rocket Grunt inside, and he had no issue with that at all. They could have her, and he hoped to never see her again.

But they were also going to make him hand over the other two in-use human balls in his possession as well, weren't they?

Ash went back into the stall, locked the door, and sat back down on the toilet. He took out both human balls, expanded them, and stared down at the pair.

In the one with the scratched top was the redheaded girl that had saved his life. In the other was _her_ PokeGirl, the one that had kicked so much butt but also had gotten really hurt in the process. What was going to happen to them when the police found out about them?

He didn't know why the redhead had a PokeGirl of her own, but he was sure it couldn't be for anything bad. She didn't seem to mind being a PokeGirl, right? She had fought at their side, never made an issue of those ropes or being naked, and while she had been reluctant to go back into her human ball, she didn't seem to be afraid of it. So she couldn't be upset at being a PokeGirl, right?

But why had she been naked in the first place? What was up with those ropes or that ball strapped to her mouth in the first place? Ash had seen plenty of other PokeGirls who were also tied up like that, but they had all been grown-ups!

He was sure that there was a reason, but the police probably wouldn't care enough to listen. They would take both of them away, and they would be in big trouble just because they had helped him.

Ash couldn't let that happen.

He shrank both balls down and took off his hat. Then he slipped them into the strap that lined the inside of the hat and put it back on. It was a pretty snug fit, and wasn't exactly comfortable, but he could deal with it.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the stall and back into the park, ready to rejoin Nurse Joy.

But when he came out into the open night air, she was gone.

Ash was flummoxed. She had been right there! She had said that she would wait for him! Had the police already arrived to pick her up? Why hadn't they waited for him?

Ash felt a sudden chill as he looked over the abandoned park. Something wasn't right. The rational part of his mind told him to just give the police a call and tell them that they had forgotten someone, but another part screamed for him to _leave_ and to do it _now!_

He stepped out of the bathroom and looked around again. There still was nobody there, no Nurse Joy, no police, no Rocket Grunts, no one but himself.

This was bad.

 _I can't leave!_ his mind cried. _I have to go to the police! The police will help! They're the good guys!_

But the sour feeling building in his gut _strongly_ disagreed.

Ash hesitated, and then turned to run, fleeing the park, fleeing the city, and heading off to disappear into the wilderness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay, I promise this is supposed to be a sexy story, not a darkfic. But if I'm gonna have an M rating, I might as well take advantage of it.


	6. Misty and May, the PokeGirl Duo!

Ash Ketchum was at a crossroads in his life, both literally and metaphorically.

He sat on a log where the path split four ways. Taking it back the way he came would return him to Viridian City, and that path was definitely out. Going south would take him home to Pallet Town, and he most certainly wasn't going back there. Heading west would lead him to the Indigo League, up through Victory Road, and up into the Indigo League Stadium, the ultimate goal of any Pokemon trainer, and while it was his deepest, most fervent desire to one day walk that path, he knew it would be a long time before he was ready.

That left the path to the north, which headed right into the Viridian Forest, and from there to Pewter City, the path any Pokemon trainer from Pallet Town ought to take.

If only the other crossroads was so easy to navigate.

He held two human balls in his hands. The one with the four scratches across the top held the redheaded trainer that had saved his life at nearly the cost of her own. The other held her PokeGirl, the one who had fought so bravely beside him, had taken so much damage to protect Nurse Joy, who was just as much a hero as the first girl.

At first Ash was simply going to bring them both out, introduce himself properly, and explain the situation, but now that it came down to it, he found himself beset by an attack of nerves. There was every likelihood that the redheaded girl would hate him for getting her injured and capturing her, and the PokeGirl would also probably be really angry about him capturing her trainer. He had no idea of the circumstances that had led to her being caught, but seeing how she could literally kick balls of flame at his face, it was clear that he was going to have to tread lightly. And if he brought them both out, the redhead could very well just order the PokeGirl to scorch Ash to, well, _ash_ for the insult of having captured her.

So he was going to have to do it one at a time. But even that scared him.

He raised each ball in turn, testing their weight. "Okay, so _she_ is the most likely to be mad at me," he said, looking at the gouged one. Then he looked over to the other. "But _she_ can set me on fire. But she also actually likes me a little." He turned back to the first. "While she probably doesn't. But then, _she_ was only caught in the first place because of me, so it's only right that she should come out first. Besides, the other is still hurt, and she can't feel pain inside of her human ball, so bringing her out would just be cruel."

Ash breathed out. "Okay. First one it is then."

He shrank down the PokeGirl's human ball, carefully put it in his jacket pocket, and held onto the gouged human ball with both hands. Now that he had committed, it somehow felt much heavier than it had before.

"Right," he said. "Let's do this."

…

_Though the boy had not gone far, by the time Misty caught up to him it was already too late._

_She burst into the field just in time to see him blindly flee from the attacking Spearows right over a steep slope. She tried to called out to warn him, but a crack of thunder swallowed up her voice. Seconds later his foot slipped and he was gone._

_Misty's heart leapt into her throat. The Spearow flock circled over the ledge like Mandibuzz, ready to swoop down and pick him clean. If he wasn't dead already then he would be once they got through with him._

_Though she already knew that it was probably already too late, Misty raced over to the ledge, where the Spearow flock was hovering, two pokeballs already in hand. "Staryu! Starmie!" she cried. "I choose-"_

"You!" Misty thrust both hands into the air, sending her Pokemon forward into battle.

Nothing happened. Misty's hands were empty, the pokeballs she had been holding now gone.

Misty blinked. Then she brought her hands down and stared at her palms. "Huh?" she said, turning her hands over. Then she patted her belt, and then her pockets. No pokeballs. "Wait, what?"

It was then that she noticed that not only had nothing happened, but the things that had already been happening also ceased to happen. The storm had simply…stopped, vanished as if it had never been. Overhead, there were no Spearows to be found at all.

Also, it was now night, when previously it had been day. Furthermore, she was no longer out in a storm-ravaged field, but in a rather peaceful forest.

Something had happened, something big. She had been moved, time had passed, and she remembered nothing. But what was it, what was…

Then her eyes fell upon the boy standing nearby.

It was him, the same one that had ran her over, the same one she had been trying to save, standing there cleaned up and _not_ lying in a broken heap at the bottom of a hill.

Still, at least he was alive, standing there safe and sound, smiling sheepishly as if he had been caught going through her underwear. "Uh, hello!" he said with a wave and a nervous chuckle.

"Oh, it's you," Misty said. "Er, hi?"

"Yup, it's me!" the boy said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. "Uh, thanks for helping me back there, you really saved my neck!"

"Don't…mention it?" Misty frowned. Well, at least her rescue had been a success, but she really wished that she could remember it. "Um, okay. What's going on? Because I could have sworn we were in a field, but now we're at the Viridian Junction."

"Yeah, well, you see-"

"Also, it was daytime and raining, but now it's nighttime and clear," Misty pointed out. "And you were really messed up and lying at the bottom of a hill, but now you're…"

She looked the boy over, from down at his shoelaces all the way up to his spiky black hair and red cap. Come to think of it, a few things were different. Since she had last seen him, the boy had also had time to clean himself up and get treated for his injuries. Someone had bandaged him up, and quite a lot at that. Also, he had come into possession of a backpack.

The boy cringed under her gaze, but didn't try to stop her. Oh yeah, he knew something.

"Well," Misty said after a moment of contemplation. "Something happened. What was it?"

"Er, yeah, about that." The boy coughed. "See, right when you showed up, you might've, sort've, kind've got hit by lightning."

Misty blinked. "I…got hit by lightning?"

"Yeah."

"Oh. Uh, well."

Had she really? It was disturbing to consider, but now that he mentioned it, it did make a certain amount of sense. Those lightning strikes had been really close, and she had been out in the open, the tallest thing in that field.

Well, if true, then that explained the memory loss. But why did she now feel fine? And why was she waking up on her feet with the boy instead of in a hospital bed?

"Right!" the boy continued. "And you were in really bad shape, and I had to get you to safety. But I didn't know how long you had, and we were so far from anyone that could help, so-"

Misty inhaled sharply. "Wait, I was _dying?"_

The boy looked down at his shoes. "Er, yeah," he said, nudging a rock with his toe. "You were."

Misty covered her mouth. Dying? She had been…dying? But that wasn't fair! She had been trying to save someone else, a complete stranger who had only been in danger because of his own idiocy! And that had nearly gotten her killed by lightning? What kind of karmic reward was that?

But if that also was true, then why was she okay? The two of them had been in the middle of nowhere, stuck during a massive storm! How had she survived? How had either of them survived?

"B-But anyway, I couldn't just let you die!" the boy continued, his voice now rising in pitch. "I mean, of course I couldn't! You had saved me, after all! But…" He winced. "Okay, please, please, _please_ promise me that you won't be angry!"

Misty's eyes narrowed. Every time someone told her not to be angry, it was usually because they had done something that she ought to be angry about. "Angry about _what?"_

"I…" The boy inhaled through his teeth and muttered in a low voice, "kind of caught you."

His voice had been barely above a whisper, but Misty had still understood him, and what he said did quite the opposite of not making her angry. "What," she said in a low, dangerous tone.

"I…I kind of-"

"You _caught_ me?"

Misty seized the boy by the lapels of his jacket and shoved her face into his. "Are you _serious?"_ she said. "You _caught_ me? I'm a _PokeGirl_ now? Why, you little-"

"I had to!" he wailed. "You were dying!"

"Oh, really?" Misty snorted. "That's real likely! Why, I bet you say that to every girl you steal their freedom from!"

"I swear, I didn't want to, but I didn't know what else to do!"

"I was trying to save your life, you sleazy jackass! And so you tried to control mine?"

Misty gave him a hard shove. His legs hit the back of a log, and he lost his balance and tumbled back into the underbrush on the other side.

Hopping over the log, Misty stomped over to the boy's side and glowered down at him. And, as he tried to rise up, she lifted one leg and brought her sneaker down roughly onto his chest, pinning him to the ground.

"What's the matter with you!" she bellowed. "Admit it, you just wanted some little girl to play with, and all the girls at your school won't…"

Her voice trailed off. The boy wasn't staring up at her in fear and chagrin, nor was he trying to escape her wrath.

Instead, he was crying. And not just little sniffles, but full-on bawling, the ugly sort of crying one only did when they were completely miserable and didn't care who saw it.

"I'm s-s-sorry!" he got out between sobs. "But I d-didn't know w-what else to do! And you were so brave and strong and beautiful, and y-y-you only got hurt because of me, and oh Arceus, I'm so sorry!"

As Misty stared down at the sobbing boy, she was struck with a very strange realization, one that she wasn't sure how to react to.

The boy was telling the truth.

She knew liars when she heard them. She knew smooth-talkers, she knew manipulators, and she definitely knew perverts. Heck, she kind of was one, and like recognized like. Being the youngest Gym Leader in all of Kanto with three older, more beautiful, and more deliberately alluring sisters meant that she had dealt with all kinds coming through her gym.

But she also knew honesty when she saw it. And as pathetic as the boy might seem at the moment, she wasn't getting a whiff of bullshit off of him.

"You're really being straight with me," Misty said. "You're telling the truth."

Though the boy was now covering his face as he cried, he still managed a nod.

"Oh."

Misty hesitated, and then removed her foot. She started to reach down to help him up, but then paused, unsure of what to do, because even if the boy was telling the truth, and she was now almost certain that he was, he had still taken her freedom away. She was, for all intents and purposes, now he his slave, and that took some adjusting to.

But it was clear that he hadn't wanted to, that he had only done so because he felt that he had no other choice. Misty could read that much.

Sighing, Misty extended her hand the rest of the way. The boy's sobbing had started to ebb off a little, though the tears were still flowing. Still, when he saw her hand reaching for his, he froze, and then looked up at her, his big, wet eyes almost pleading.

Misty nodded at him.

The boy hesitated, and then took her hand.

Misty silently helped him up. He brushed his jacket off and wiped his eyes with his sleeve. Misty wondered if she ought to say something but realized that she had no idea what to say, so she said nothing, and neither did he. They just looked at each other.

Then Misty sighed and sat down on the log, one arm laid across her legs while she buried her face in the opposite hand. A lot of changes were being thrown at her, and she didn't know how to even begin to process them.

After a moment the boy sat down next to her. Misty let him.

"Um…" The boy coughed. "I-I'm Ash, by the way."

Misty didn't react at first, save for a sidelong glance. For his part, the boy didn't say anything beyond that. He just waited.

Then with a sigh, Misty let her hand drop and looked up at the moon where it peeked down from between the leaves. "Misty," she said at last. "My name's Misty."

"Misty? Th-That's a really pretty name!"

Was he trying to be slick with her, or was he genuinely this earnest? Honestly, Misty strongly suspected that it was the second, as strange as that sounded. And to be fair, it really was kind of refreshing.

She slowly breathed out. "Well, I guess I should thank you then."

"What? Oh, n-no! No, you don't! I mean, it's my fault that-"

"No, I'm serious," Misty said. "I mean, let's be honest, I probably would've gotten hit with lightning anyway. And even if I didn't, that was…still some pretty quick thinking." She turned her face towards him, and managed a small smile. "So, thank you. And, uh, sorry about yelling at you and pushing you down."

Even in the pale moonlight, the blush on Ash's face was plain to see. He swallowed noisily and averted his gaze.

Misty tilted her head. Wow, he got flustered pretty easily. It was like he was the exact opposite of Gary Oak.

It was sort of strange. Misty had always figured that sooner or later, someone would capture her. She had never looked forward to that day though. Just seeing how many of the trainers treated their PokeGirls made the idea very unappealing. Others seemed to be of the decent sort, but that wasn't enough for her to actually want it, especially since even the nice ones still tended to treat their PokeGirls like personal concubines.

But now it had happened, and way, _way_ earlier than she had expected. And it had been done by…this kid. This nervous, blushing, easily flustered kid, who didn't look like he had ever even considered touching a girl in his life. It…felt weird.

And yet he had still drawn all the Spearows away from her without hesitation, despite knowing that it might cost him his life. He had thought quick to save her life, despite obviously being very injured at the time. And he had brought her out and apologized for it, when he could have just made her strip down and start servicing him.

It was very different from what she had expected, and she still had no idea what to think about it.

The two children sat side-by-side, neither speaking, one of them an experienced, well-traveled, and prestigious Pokemon trainer, who had been training monsters from the depths since she had been seven and now at age ten ran her own gym, and yet now belonged solely to the scared, hurt, and timid boy sitting next to her, a rookie trainer who seemed to have a perchance for stumbling into danger and kicking it up regardless even when it was nowhere to be found.

Then Misty finally sighed. "Okay," she said. "Tell me everything that happened."

Ash swallowed. "W-Well, it all started this morning…actually, it started last night, when I accidentally threw my alarm clock against the wall!"

…

_Interlude 1_

At that moment, Nurse Joy had problems of her own.

She sat alone in utter darkness on a simple wooden chair. There was a blindfold around her eyes, though it didn't accomplish much, as the room she was in was also completely dark. Her arms were twisted around behind her and bound to the back of the chair, inserted into gloves that were little more than fingerless black tubes with rounded ends that covered her entire forearm, which in turn were shackled to the chair. Her legs are likewise bound, stuck into similar tubes, these with flattened bottoms, that were strapped to each of the chair's front legs, forcing her legs open.

The room was cold, deliberately kept a few degrees below what people would consider comfortable. Under normal circumstances that would rank rather low on her list of concerns, but her nakedness has made it much more pressing than it would have been otherwise. When she had been brought to the Viridian City Police Station (and what a farce that place was!), she was not taken through the front door like she ought to have been, but instead driven around to the back, where large metal doors sat waiting to receive bulk cargo. One of them had slid open just enough to admit Jenny's car, and it closed shut as soon as she was inside, leaving her in darkness.

Then, as she had sat there waiting and wondering what cruel fate awaited her, the lights had turned on, and the car had been surrounded by members of Team Rocket.

Nurse Joy tried not to think of what happened next, how they had torn open the car door and dragged her out. How they had lifted her up by her arms and legs and carried her kicking and screaming to this cold, bare room. How they had then stripped her of everything, tearing off her work uniform, her underwear, even her hair-pins. How they had then forced the gauntlets and boots onto her feet and arms, how they had wrestled her into the chair, how they had twisted her arms to the back and yanked her legs apart.

She had thought that they were going to rape her then, but instead they had merely snapped the shackles in place and then tied the ropes around her, finishing with tying the mask into place and shoving the blindfold down over her eyes.

And then they had left her: alone, naked, and afraid. The cold raised goosebumps all over her bare skin, and the ropes pressing into the tops and bottoms of her breasts were starting to burn.

But that wasn't the worst of it.

When the Rocket Grunts had finished stripping her, one had jabbed an injector into her shoulder and pressed the trigger. That was the scariest part. What had they injected into her? Some kind of slow-acting poison? Something to make her feel the pain ever more so? A mind-control drug?

As it turns out, it was none of those things, and as she sat in perfect discomfort, trapped naked and helpless in the dark and in the cold, she slowly became aware of another sensation, one that had taken root in her core and is was spreading its tendrils through her body.

At first Nurse Joy tried to ignore it _. It's nothing_ , she told herself. Just her body's natural response to her situation. The Rocket Grunts had handled her roughly, and now she was tied up and naked. She had experimented with bondage play a little bit back in college, not enough to make it a habit, but just enough for her body to recognize it as an erotic activity. That's all it was.

But then her crotch started to tingle, and the restlessness in her thigh caused the muscles to contract. To her horror, she realized exactly what was done to her.

The injection had been an aphrodisiac. Nurse Joy had heard tales of how Team Rocket would inject their prisoners and leave them restrained and alone, letting them stew in their own arousal, unable to satisfy themselves, until they would be driven half-mad by their own lust and willing to say and do anything just to be allowed to cum.

And now it was happening to her.

The hungry lust was spreading, dampening out the cold and discomfort, taking over every bit of her. Her nipples were already stiffening from the cold, but now they were as hard as rocks, yearning to be taken into someone's mouth. She could feel her pussy lips quiver as wet arousal beads on the surface of her labia.

To distract herself, she tried to focus on everything else she feel. She was afraid; of course she was afraid. She had been caught by Team Rocket, and despite their public reputation as barely competent goofs, she knew better, not enough to know of their control over her own city, but she had heard of what happens to the PokeGirls that came into their grasp. And though they had yet to officially "catch" her, it was only a matter of time before she too was to be stuffed inside a human ball and sold off on the black market to some petty crime boss looking for a Nurse Joy to add to his or her harem.

(it wasn't working. If anything, the thought of her future was only making things worse)

Nurse Joy changed tactics. She focused her mind to her worry for Ash Ketchum and his…companions. She hoped that he had gotten away, that he and the other two children had evaded capture and were now on their own. She hoped that he did start his Pokemon journey, safe and free of fear. She hoped that the Cerulean City Gym Leader and her PokeGirl were with them, that they all became friends and traveling companions, and that they did manage to safely hand over the Rocket Grunt that he had captured over to the real authorities.

(that only brought to mind the fire-type PokeGirl and her slender, nubile body, twisting and writhing as she fought with all the grace of a trained gymnast, which also was not helping)

Fine then. Nurse Joy had one last recourse left. She turned her thoughts to her righteous anger, not just at her current situation, but at what had caused it. Viridian City, even her own PokeCenter, controlled by Team Rocket this whole time. Her paycheck probably came from them. Her taxes had gone into their pocket. And she wasn't even caught by them, but instead had been handed over by someone she had liked and looked up to, but had turned out to be just another corrupt pawn.

Finally it worked, and her justified indignation was enough to take her mind off of the chemically-induced horniness that was seeping through every vein, at least a little, and as much as her body cried out to be touched and her sex begged for sweet release, she desired to have her fingers close around someone's throat even more: the Rocket Grunts, Officer Jenny, it didn't matter.

But as she sat there, staving off aching need with nearly violent rage, she heard something. The door to the room was creaking open.

"Well now," purred a voice that reminded Nurse Joy of syrup infused with venom. "I think she's ready."

The light clicked on, and though Nurse Joy could only see a faint haze through the blindfold, it hurt her dilated pupils nonetheless, making her flinch back.

There then came the sound of hard heels clacking against the concrete floor. A woman was coming, and to Nurse Joy's shame that only caused her lust to flare up all the more.

A gloved hand with feminine fingers and a hard, unforgiving touch seized the blindfold and tore it off. Even that brief contact made her flesh cry out for more, while the sudden onslaught of light caused her to squeeze her eyes shut.

"Come on," said the woman. "Look at me now."

Nurse Joy blinked her eyes several times, letting her eyes become accustomed to the light. And when the white haze had collected into shapes and color, she was able to take in the sight of her captor.

It was a woman, one who was as handsome as she was terrifying. She seemed to be in her late thirties, but was in exceptionally good shape, something that her skintight white outfit did nothing to hide. Her upper arms are bare, and yellow and purple highlights were visible at her ankles and shoulders. She wore white-and-gold gloves that extended partway up her bicep, heavy gold hoops around her wrists, and her suit was unzipped just enough to expose the yellow bodysuit she wears under it. Her dark hair was done up in an elaborate bun set with a steel hairpin that left hair rings trailing over her left eye, and her lips were purple.

The way she is looking at Nurse Joy told her that this was someone used to being in control, and fully relished abusing that position whenever and however she saw fit. But more concerning was the large red R on her hip, which told her that this was another member of Team Rocket, and her unique outfit denoted her as someone of high importance, probably one of their Executives. That was bad. The Grunts were bad enough, but the Executives were renowned for their ruthlessness and cruelty.

In the Rocket Executive's hand was a slender violet cord, which trailed to a collar of the same color that was bound around the neck of another woman.

It was a PokeGirl, if her collar and nakedness weren't enough indication. She was young though, not as young as the fire-type from the PokeCenter, but still young, probably no older than sixteen. She had long violet hair tied back in a ponytail and striking eyes of the same color. And she was bound, much in the same way Nurse Joy was, in the same way the other PokeGirl had been, with her arms restrained behind her back, while ropes crisscrossed above, below, and between her modest breasts, thrusting them out. Her nipples were colored the same shade of violet as her hair and eyes, and were each pierced with a small silver hoop, with another hoop piercing the little nub of her clitoris. A violet facemask covered the entire lower part of her face.

If the sound of the Rocket Executive's voice was enough to send her insides squirming, then the sight of those two together just about drove Nurse Joy to madness with desire. She longed to have them touch her, to dominate the girl while being dominated by the woman in turn, to feel the girl squirming and submissive beneath her while the woman takes them both. The desire was so strong that she nearly forgot that she was supposed to be angry, and she whimpered through her mask.

The Rocket Executive smiled down at her. She leaned over, bending her body forward so that the two of them were eye-to-eye, mere centimeters apart. "Hello, Alexa," she said. "Comfy?"

And with that, the sharp focus of Nurse Joy's rage returned. The only ones permitted to call her by her first name was her family: her mother, her sisters, and her cousins. To all others she was Nurse Joy, from a family that she was proud of and a title she had worked hard to obtain.

"We really have to stop meeting like this," the Rocket Executive said, her voice cloyingly sweet, as if she was speaking to a puppy. She reached up to gently run the back of her fingers along Nurse Joy's cheek. "You are a good Nurse Joy, and none of this is your fault." Her hand trailed down, moving down her neck and shoulders to come to rest on the swell of her breast, and despite her indignation Nurse Joy could not help but tremble with pleasure. "You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Such bad luck." The Rocket Executive gave Nurse Joy's breast a quick squeeze, nearly causing her mind to white out from delight, and then backed away, hips swaying provocatively, that sensually cruel smile never wavering.

"And the sad thing is that this is really our fault," the Rocket Executive continued. "Honestly, the idiots we have working for us really do astound me sometimes. It seems that I spend more time cleaning up their messes than I do furthering the cause." She laid a hand on the back of the PokeGirl's neck, making the poor girl stiffen in fear. "Ah, but what can one do?" she said as she slowly stroked the girl's neck and shoulders. "It's just how it is sometimes."

Nurse Joy breathed in and out, pushing the burning need to be touched back down, and focused on her rage and hatred for the woman standing before her. If she could have spat in her face she would have, no matter the consequences.

The Rocket Executive ran her hand up and down the PokeGirl's side, stroking her torso and thigh, which were trembling under her touch. "I know what you must be thinking, that you are doomed to be turned into a PokeGirl and sold to some disgusting baron and forced to satisfy his lusts." She reached over and gripped the PokeGirl's breast and squeezed hard, the pierced nipple pressed between two fingers. "And under normal circumstances you would be correct. But fortunately for you that would just be a waste. Bringing in another member of your illustrious family to take your place would just invite questions that we'd rather not answer, and anyone who knew you would be able to figure out that you had been replaced fairly easily. Honestly, the practical thing to do would be to just let you go return to your life."

What? That made no sense. If they were just going to let her go, then why bother kidnapping her? Why interrogate her like this?

"After, of course, you reveal everything you know about those children that were with you."

Oh. Well, there was that.

Nurse Joy glowered at her, hoping that the malice in her eyes was more evident than the flush in her cheeks. She shook her head.

"Yes, yes, a sign of defiance, a refusal to give in," the Rocket Executive sighed. "I know. It's the same thing every time, but it is nice to know that her spirit remains, no matter how many times we end up here."

What? How many times? Had they met before?

"But don't worry. I know I must offend you, so you don't have to tell me anything." Then the Rocket Executive's hand released the PokeGirl's breast to move back and rise up to the back of the girl's head. "You're going to tell _her."_

Then her hand moved up beneath the PokeGirl's ponytail, the fingers squeezed, something clicked, and the facemask fell away, revealing a pair of lips colored with lavender lipstick. She started panting with deep, shuddering breaths, her bust rising and falling with each one.

The Rocket Executive leaned in to whisper into the PokeGirl's ear. "Now, go and do her job and make Mommy proud." She patted the PokeGirl's ass. "There's a good girl."

The PokeGirl shivered, but nodded. Licking her lips, she approached her chair, and as she did she began to glow with a writhing violet aura, denoting her as a psychic-type.

Nurse Joy tensed up in anticipation as the PokeGirl drew near. She tried not to let her fear show, but she was certain that her eyes were betraying her, just as her flushed cheeks and seeping cunt were betraying how deeply aroused she are.

The PokeGirl stood over Nurse Joy, staring down at her, though to her slight surprise it's not in malice or even desire, but in shame, even a little regret. Nurse Joy returned her gaze, trying to appear defiant, but she was struck by how much she find herself pitying the girl. Despite what she was about to do, she was not her enemy. Her owner is.

Then the girl climbed into Nurse Joy's lap, facing her with her ass resting on her thighs and her legs straddling her on either side. She leaned in, her bound breasts pressing into Nurse Joy's own.

All pretense of fighting off the aphrodisiac's effects withered and died as her loins suddenly flared up. Though the positioning of her bodies prevents full contact, she could still feel the edge of the girl's pussy brush against her own, both of them now dripping with arousal, their juices mixing together between her thighs.

The PokeGirl rested her chin on Nurse Joy's shoulder. Nurse Joy tried to pull away, but there was nowhere to go. The PokeGirl tilted her face toward her ear and whispered in a low, trembling tone, "I'm sorry."

Then she ran her tongue up her neck and over her cheek. Nurse Joy squeezed her eyes shut, but nothing could shut out the warm wetness running over her face.

Suddenly the PokeGirl lunged in, seizing the top of Nurse Joy's gag with her teeth and yanking it down. Before she could react, the PokeGirl was already pressing her mouth into hers, forcing a deep kiss.

And… _oh…_

It was better than Nurse Joy could have imagined: the feel of the girl's lips on her own, the taste of her tongue as it squirmed its way into her mouth. Her fear was forgotten, her anger no longer important. The only thing that mattered is satisfying her aching need, of taking her pleasure from the girl and finding release.

She responded, pushing into the kiss, slipping her tongue into the girl's mouth as well. Her hips started to move, rotating around as she tried to thrust her sex into hers, only to feel frustration when the angle was against her.

The PokeGirl pushed deeper into her, and then she began to feel hands moving all over her body, groping at her breasts, at her waist, at her thighs and ass. But how? The girl's arms were bound, the same as hers.

Gasping, she broke from her just long enough to look down between her bodies as they writhed against each other. There was nothing there: no hands, no fingers, no nothing.

But Nurse Joy could still feel them, feel those intrusive fingers as they kneaded her flesh, caressing and pinching and squeezing.

The PokeGirl again closed her mouth over hers again, and she no longer cared.

The two of them hungrily pushed into one another, attacking each other's mouths as their hips moved in sync. Nurse Joy tried to assert herself against her, but the girl had all the leverage, and thrusted her tongue deeper into Nurse Joy's mouth. Nurse Joy mewled helplessly as it danced around her tongue, entwining it.

And then Nurse Joy felt it, what she wanted to feel this whole time. Fingers closed in around her quivering pussy and gripped it hard. They sank into the fleshy folds of the lips, separating them while another finger ran up and down her labia.

 _Please,_ she silently begged. _Enter me. Give me release. I need it._

And it did, thrusting itself deep inside Nurse Joy just as the PokeGirl was thrusting her tongue into her mouth. She moaned with gratitude as pleasure rocked her body, making her hips buck. The finger slid in and out, moving faster and faster.

And then, just when it felt like she are about to burst, that her mind was about to dissolve into foam upon a sea of delight, something else thrusted into her as well.

Fingers descended upon her mind, fingers that groped and pawed at her memory just as they had her body. Terrified, she tried to resist, but her mind was now as much a plaything as her body was, her memory as naked as she was, and the phantom fingers were digging in deeper and deeper, grabbing at what they wish and pulling it out.

Now Nurse Joy could feel the orgasm rising within her, that simmering flame that now threatened to erupt into an inferno. So close to completion, she forgot the assault on her mind and tried to grind her pussy on anything she can: the fingers, the PokeGirl, whatever might bring her release. It continued to grow and grow, until it finally flared up, bucking her hips and causing her to cry out in ecstasy, her back arching and her mind completely dissolving into a wave of pleasure, and then-

_**FLASH** _

" _HELP!" the boy screams as he rushes in through the door. "Please, you have to help her!"_

_You are immediately on your feet, shocked at the boy's tattered state. There's blood seeping down his face and arms, and his clothes are torn to shreds, like he had been-_

_**FLASH** _

_The computer finishes detailing the data on the PokeGirl inside the human ball. A wire-frame representation of her appears on the screen._

" _Hmmm, human female," you say. "Obviously. Age…"_

_Wait. You glance from the readout to the image. She was how old?_

_**FLASH** _

_It takes some work to get the boy's jacket off, and he can't help but wince as it slides over his ravaged arms. It's a wonder he had made it this far in his condition. No doubt the terror and adrenaline had shielded him from the worst of the pain._

" _Okay, now lift up your hands," you say as you carefully lay the battered and muddied jacket aside._

" _Uh, do I have to? Because that's going to hurt a lot."_

" _Well, I can cut the shirt off you, but-"_

_The boy hastily obeys, though it's obviously a painful process, and when you see the latticework of cuts you understand why._

" _Hmmm, looks you you've had a day," you say as you get to work cleaning his wounds._

" _Um, y-yeah."_

_As you work, you still cannot help but admire the boy's physique. Despite not having lost all of his baby fat, he still apparently kept himself in good shape, making him rather easy on the eyes. The truth was, you did always enjoy having the child trainers pass through your PokeCenter than the swaggering adults and their overly sexualized PokeGirls. Their innocence and enthusiasm was infectious, and she did have to admit that they were more enjoyable to look at…_

_You shake your head. No, this was not the time for such thoughts._

" _You know, most people who suffer Pokemon injuries at least have the good sense to only tick off one at a time," you say, if for not other reason to bring your mind back to the task at hand. "Not an entire Spearow flock."_

" _It was an-Ow!-an accident."_

" _I would hope so." You work in silence for a bit, and then ask, "By the way, this is going to be awkward to fill out in my reports without at least knowing who you are. Do you have a name?"_

" _Er, yeah. It's Ash. Ash Ketchum."_

_**FLASH** _

" _This is a human ball," you say. "Did you mix it in with the others?"_

" _Uh, no," Ash replies as he struggles to slip on the backpack you had given him. "Those were all hers."_

" _Hmmm." That was very strange. Now, why would a ten year old girl be doing with a PokeGirl of her own?_

_You consult your SilphScreen, which was still sifting through data, trying to pin down the girl's identity. It was getting close, having already identified her hometown as being Cerulean City. A few moments later and the name MISTY popped up, followed by-_

_Wait._

_Seriously? She was the infamous child Gym Leader of Cerulean City?_

" _Oh my," you say._

_**FLASH** _

" _Uh, whatever Pokemon these are, I choose you!"_

_Ash hurls two of young Misty's pokeballs out. However, as they leave his hand, your heart leaps into your throat. One of the pokeballs is noticeably pink on one half instead of red._

_The human ball. He threw the girl's human ball._

_As you stare in nervous anticipation of what might call out, you hear Ash cry out in dismay._

" _Really?" he says. "A Goldeen?"_

_While it was true that ending up with a Goldeen would be cause for alarm, your focus is on the other creature materializing right in front of them._

_It's a child, another little girl, in her very early teens at most. She is an athletic-looking brunette wearing a red bandanna, sneakers, and…not much else. Her arms are bound behind her by what was clearly bondage rope, and a ball gag is in her mouth, something that was very common with PokeGirls but really disturbing on a kid._

_Ash is still distracted by recalling the Goldeen, so you grab him and hiss out, "Ash!"_

" _Huh?" Then he sees, and he stares, and so does Team Rocket._

" _Wha?" says the Meowth. "Anudder PokeGirl? Kid, you jus' snatchin' up yer entire fourth grade class or somethin'?"_

_It's right to be disturbed, and the fact that this PokeGirl belongs to another minor only further complicates the situation. Good Heavens, what have you stumbled into?_

" _Oh, this raises so many unpleasant questions," you sigh. But, though you would never say it out loud, the girl did look so much better than the many, many other, more mature PokeGirls you had seen._

_**FLASH** _

" _Ow!" the Rocket Grunt cries as the human ball hits her in the head. She drops her tire iron and recoils._

_A moment later her essence is sucked up into the human ball, which drops to the floor._

_As you and Ash both stare, the human ball rocks back and forth as the trapped woman struggles to escape. You ready yourself in case that happens, as she is likely to be even more enraged and dangerous than-_

_She doesn't. The human ball locks, and her life is transformed._

_Well. At this point you aren't even surprised. After the day you've had and the things you've seen, this might as well happen as well._

" _Well, you're…making quite the collection," you remark._

" _I didn't mean…" Ash's voice just trails off._

" _I never said that you did, just…" You shake your head. "Oh well. We'll just hand her over to the police."_

_**FLASH** _

And then it was over. Nurse Joy felt her senses return, her mind reforming, her memory sealing itself back up. The phantom fingers retreated from both her mind and her body, and it was just her, slumped back into the chair, panting with exertion, her skin slick with sweat and tingling, with the weight of the PokeGirl lying across her as she whimpered softly into her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," the girl whispered. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm-"

Then a cruel hand seized the girl by her ponytail and yanked back, arching her body against Nurse Joy's. "Well now, my dear?" said the Rocket Executive. "What did you learn?"

The PokeGirl gasped, and then stammered out, "Ash K-Ketchum. The boy's n-name is Ash Ketchum."

"Very good. What else?"

The girl swallowed. "The first PokeGirl is the Cer-Cerulean City Gym Leader. He c-c-caught her because she was injured, and h-h-he didn't know how else to save her."

"Ah, how valiant. What else?"

"The other PokeGirl's ident-t-t-ty is unknown. She belong to the Gym Leader. He has Rock-ck-cket Grunt Jessie. He caught her on ac-c-ccident."

"Well, that reflects poorly on her. What else? Where are they?"

"I don't know," the girl whispered. "She doesn't know. I couldn't find out."

"Shame. Now get up."

The PokeGirl slowly rose up off of Nurse Joy. She was still weak, and her leg buckled. The Rocket Executive took no notice.

"I'd say that this song and dance was getting old," she said as she ran a finger up Nurse Joy's sopping wet pussy. She then lifted her hand to her mouth and licked the fingers. "But I'd be lying if I said that I didn't enjoy dealing with your little…transgressions."

Wait. What?

Then the Rocket Executive cupped the PokeGirl's face and draws it to her own. "You did wonderful, sweetie," she purred. "You made Mommy happy."

The PokeGirl shuddered, but did not resist as the Rocket Executive's mouth closed over hers.

And as Nurse Joy watched them, two shocking realizations broke through the fog of arousal and shame covering her mind.

First, she realized that what the Rocket Executive was saying is true. This wasn't the first time she had been in this situation. She probably had been there several times before after seeing something that she shouldn't have seen, something that the true rulers of the city would rather that she didn't know. And each time that which she had learned was extracted from her, and all memory of both it and her time there had been be taken away.

The second is that the psychic PokeGirl was more than a tool for the Rocket Executive. Now that Nurse Joy was looking at the two of them, seeing the shapes of their faces and their eyes, she realized that the girl was the Rocket Executive's _daughter._

The Rocket Executive stopped making out with her daughter to look at Nurse Joy in a leering manner. "Magnificent, isn't she?" she said, running her fingers across the girl's jawline. "Of course psychic types always are in high demand, but what we've been able to create far exceeds any natural abilities they gain from getting caught. It's amazing what one can accomplish with a little scientific know-how and the, shall we say, superb genetic material we had to work with." She patted her child's butt. "Now, go on, my sweet. Finish the job."

The PokeGirl nodded, and then started again to advance, her aura returning. Nurse Joy slumped down, already so worn down from her ordeal that she couldn't even muster a show of defiance.

Over by the door, the Rocket Executive was already turning away from them, lifting a phone to her ear. "This is Sierra. We're all done here. I have the names."

"Don't worry," the PokeGirl told Nurse Joy. "This won't take long."

As drained as Nurse Joy was, she was only able to shoot her a sullen glare, but in doing so, the two of them lock eyes, and suddenly she felt herself freeze, both in body and in spirit, her muscles locking up while her thoughts slowed, and she was unable to do anything but stare deeply into the girl's amethyst eyes, eyes that were now taking up her entire field of vision, eyes that were growing larger and larger, merging into one another until all there was, all she could see was one giant eye, an eye whose gaze pierced her mind, body, and soul, leaving everything about her laid bare, and she was helpless to do anything but let herself sink into that violet gaze, felt herself melting away on a sea of purple…

And then Nurse Joy woke up.

She was in her own home, in her own bed, staring at the familiar ceiling. On the nightstand, her alarm clock was blaring, letting her know that it is now 6:00AM, time to get up and get ready for work.

Blinking her eyes, Nurse Joy started to sit up, only to be struck with a nauseating wave of vertigo. Ugh, what happened last night? She didn't recall going out drinking, not that she would have on a weekday, but she felt so…weird. Her head was swimming, her throat was strangely dry, and she had a slight ache in her thighs.

Maybe she was getting sick. That would just be the worst, given her job. Better call in, just to be on the safe side. But as she reached for the phone, she saw the red light on the answering machine. Curious, she let it play.

"Hey, Joy!" It was Brad, the PokeCenter's general manager. "Um, so, we're going to have to close down for a few days. That damn storm went and knocked an entire tree branch through the roof, and it's just a mess in here. Don't worry, you'll still get paid for time scheduled. But for now, just sit tight, and I'll keep you updated. Bye!"

A storm? Nurse Joy remembered something about a storm, but it was so…fuzzy.

Sighing, she lay back into her pillow. Just as well. She wasn't feeling up to going to work anyway, and now she had an excuse. At least now she had time to rest and recover.

But there was something Nurse Joy was supposed to remember, something important, but the harder she tried to recall, the more it slipped from her mind, like a faint dream.

Sighing, she let herself drift back to sleep, and as she did so, one little nugget of information drifted into her mind. Whatever it was she was supposed to remember, it was about a little boy…

…

Ash finished his tale, have regaled her with his failure to make it on time to gain a starter Pokemon, of his encounter with Alexander the trainer, of trying to catch a Pidgey and ending up being chases by an angry Spearow flock, of encountering her in the forest and watching her get struck by lightning, of his decision to catch her rather than watch her die and his race to the Viridian City PokeCenter, of being attacked by Team Rocket and chased through the storeroom, and of going to the restroom and coming out to find that Nurse Joy had simply disappeared, causing him to panic and flee into the woods, where he had finally let Misty out.

All the while, Misty simply sat and listened, wondering who exactly Ash had ticked off to be cursed with such weird luck.

"That's, uh, quite the story," Misty said at last when he was done.

"But you believe me, right? That I didn't mean to catch you?"

"I believe you," Misty said. Then she smiled. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hit you."

"Oh. Well, that's-"

Then Misty reached over and took his hand in hers. "I mean, you are kind of my hero now, aren't you?"

"I…uh…"

This…actually could be kind of fun. It was clear that unlike Misty, who had born witness to all sorts of her sisters' shenanigans (and had started making some of her own, with a certain special someone), Ash was totally out of his depth with it came to women. It was kind of adorable, actually.

In fact, now that Misty had some time to think about it, there was a lot about Ash that she found appealing. Once you looked past the bandages and nervous stuttering, he was kind of cute, in a really, really dorky was. Actually, the stuttering sort of helped, as did his genuine earnestness. It was clear that he meant well and tried very hard to do the right thing, he just kept stumbling into trouble. To be honest, Misty could do with a lot worse as a traveling buddy.

 _Like Gary Oak,_ she thought with a shiver. _Or Team Rocket._

Team Rocket didn't have much of a presence in Celadon City, but being a Gym Leader meant having to deal with them much more than Misty would have liked. She had rebuffed their attempts to buy out her gym, and though they had yet to do anything overt, they always made it clear that they didn't appreciated being told "no," especially by a little girl, and they always came back. And though she had never given them a centimeter, getting caught by them was one of her deepest fears. The stories of what they did to the girls they took were terrifying, and even though she was still a kid she knew that they would not show her mercy, especially given how she had annoyed them.

Misty still wasn't thrilled about having been caught, but given many of the alternatives, having it be to a clumsy yet kindhearted dork who had done so with no ill intentions actually didn't sound too bad.

Besides, Misty had always been an adventurer at heart. She enjoyed her duties as Gym Leader, but there was a great deal about it that she found incredibly frustrating, from the endless parade of disrespectful trainers to putting up with her condescending sisters to being constantly wary of anything Team Rocket might want to pull to the sheer dullness of being tied down to one spot. And when she did manage to get away for a little private time to see some of the world outside of Celadon City, like she had currently been doing, she would dread coming home because of the tongue-lashings her sisters would give her for leaving her gym at all.

But if she was a PokeGirl, then she wouldn't have to deal with any of that. She could go out to see the world like she wanted. This kid Ash clearly wanted the full Pokemon trainer experience, from traveling the whole of Kanto to challenging each Gym Leader in order to earn his way into the Indigo League, and he would greatly benefit from having someone along who, while not exactly older, was much more experienced and knowledgeable to help him along the way. And as that person, she would be the one setting the terms of their relationship. The PokeGirl training the trainer, everyone won!

_Plus, he is pretty cute…_

Ash was still staring at her, frozen from the shock of her having taken his hand in hers. Misty smiled and gently caressed the back of his hand with her thumb. "So, you gonna say something, or are you just going to keep staring lovingly into my eyes?"

Ash blinked.

Then he suddenly jerked away so hastily that he almost fell over again.

"Sorry! I didn't meant to, uh, didn't mean-"

"Well, I can't blame you," Misty continued as she stretched out her bare legs, letting him get as much of a look as he liked. She batted her eyelids at him. "My eyes are pretty, don't you think so?"

"Uh, yes! I mean, uh, I mean…"

Then she looked down and smirked when she saw the bulge in his lap.

"Wow," she said. "All that from holding my hand? You charmer!"

"Huh?" Then Ash looked down and squeaked. "Oh no!" He clapped his hands over his crotch and turned away. "Don't look!"

"Why not?" Misty said as she leaned in close. "It's that way because of me, isn't?"

"I'm sorry!" Ash said again. "I didn't mean to!"

 _This,_ Misty decided, _is way more fun than it has any right to be._

"Relax, it's fine!" Misty gave him a big slap on the back, which nearly sent him careening again. "Besides, I think you and I will be holding each other's hands a lot from now on."

Wincing, Ash gently massaged where she had slapped him. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm your PokeGirl now! So that means I go where you go." She then pointed to the grey-and-pink sphere on his belt. "Except I'm not going to be spending any time in that human ball."

"What?" Then Ash's eyes widened. "Oh! Uh, actually, you don't have to go with me if you don't want to! Hey, tell you what: let's go back to that PokeCenter, and I'll use their computer to properly release you!"

Misty frowned. "What, are you that desperate to get rid of me?"

"No! But I'm saying, you can go home!"

"Hmmm." Misty stood up and walked a few steps away from him. She entwined her fingers behind her and arched her back. "No, I don't think so."

"No? Uh, why not?"

"Because it's so boring staying at home, getting pushed around by my sisters. I've always wanted to go out and see the world. And that's what you're planning on doing, right?"

"Well, I guess so, but-"

"So it's settled!" Misty planted a hand on her hip and turned her torso around to flash Ash a wink and a V-sign with her fingers. "I'm going with you then! As your first PokeGirl!"

"Oh," Ash said. Then realization seemed to hit. "Oh! Um, is that allowed though?"

"Eh." Misty waggled her hand in the air. "Not really. But if we're careful then we should be fine."

"Careful? Careful how?"

"Well, we'll just make sure it looks like we're just a couple of young Pokemon trainers traveling together! For one, I'm not going back into that human ball unless I absolutely have to. For another, I'm keeping my clothes on."

Ash nodded. "Okay!" Then he blinked, and to Mist's amusement she saw disappointment.

"Most of the time, anyway," she said with a wry smile.

Ash's eyes went wide.

"Also, I'm not going to be taking part in any Pokemon battles," she said. "Unless I have to. Or I feel like it and can get away with it. So that means you need to start catching a team of Pokemon on your own."

"Of course! That's what I wanted to do in the first place!"

"Great! And I can help you with that! Think of me as your _private_ tutor," Misty said, putting special emphasis on the word "private." "I'll teach you everything you need to know about catching and training Pokemon."

Ash perked up then. "You mean it?"

"Sure! I get to go out and see the world, and you get to have someone along that knows all there is to know about Pokemon training! It's a mutually beneficial agreement."

"Wow," Ash said. "Th-that's really cool of you. Thanks!"

Then Misty's sly expression returned. She clasped her hands behind her back and strolled back to Ash. "And as for when we don't have to play pretend, well, do you have any preferences?"

Ash gulped. "Uh, preferences?"

Still smirking, Misty leaned in real close until their faces were practically touching. "Well, most trainers with PokeGirls usually have some kind of them going," she said, waggling her eyes in a fetching manner. "Things like sexy maids, or swimsuits, or lingerie, or bondage rope." She then lifted her hand and poked Ash in the nose. "So how about it, Junior Trainer? Anything you've seen that you want to try out?"

Ash's face was visibly sweating, and Misty could practically see the steam whistling out of his ears. She glanced down, and was very pleased to see the front of his pants sticking straight up.

 _This,_ Misty thought, _is way more fun than it has any right to be._ "Well, give it some thought. I'm…flexible."

Ash squeaked.

Then Misty remembered something. "Oh, and I'd also like my Pokemon back, please," she said as she straightened up. "Those are mine."

"Ah, uh, er…RIGHT!" Visibly relieved at the change of subject to something much less sensual, Ash hastily started patting his pockets. "I kept them safe for you! Here you go!"

He reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out five shrunk-down pokeballs and handed them to her.

"Thanks," Misty said as he dropped them into her palm. All seemed present and accounted for.

And then she remembered something, something _incredibly_ important, something that made her heart feel like it was seizing up.

Uh-oh.

"Uh, A-Ash?" she said. Now it was her turn to feel extremely awkward. "Was there by any chance any… _other_ capture balls?"

Ash stared blankly at her. And then he stiffened.

"Uh, right. This."

Out of another pocket he pulled out May's human ball and handed it to her as well.

"Er, thank you," Misty said as she accepted it. Oh boy, this was going to be weird.

She silently turned around and started putting her pokeballs back onto her belt. Behind her, Ash fidgeted anxiously on the log, and Misty knew exactly why.

Finally she sighed. "Well, I know what you want to ask, you know what you want to ask, so go ahead."

"Um…who is she?"

"A friend," Misty said curtly. _With benefits,_ her mind automatically added. She decided not to say that part out loud. Turning back to him, she said "You…met her, I take it?"

Ash hesitated, and then nodded. "Yeah. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. But, um, when T-Team Rocket attacked, I thought I could use your Pokemon to fight them off. And, uh, I accidentally grabbed her ball and threw it."

Misty slowly breathed out. "Oh boy."

"But she was amazing! I've never seen anyone fight that like before! And she never quit, even when she was outnumbered!"

"Yeah, that sounds like her all right," Misty muttered. "Um, look. I'm not blaming you for bringing her out, but this is the sort of thing we really need to not tell anyone. She's with me because she wants to be, but there are…people looking for her, people that she doesn't want to find her. So let's add this to our list of secrets, okay?"

"Okay," Ash said. "What people though? Team Rocket?"

"No. Uh, it's her dad, actually."

Ash blinked.

"Look, she's from Hoenn," Misty explained. "We met through her dad and, uh, became friends. And…let's just say she had a very specific plan for her future that her dad didn't like, and she convinced me to help her run away."

"Oh. You mean, she wanted to be a Pokemon trainer?"

"No, she wanted to be a PokeGirl."

"Huh?" Ash's face twisted up in bewilderment.

"I know, right? But she really wanted to, and she…convinced me to help her…" And, okay, the exact methods of persuasion that had been used had been extremely pleasant and convincing. "…so I went along with it. But that's why it's real important not to tell anyone about her, because it'll get _all_ of us in trouble."

"Oh. Uh, well, okay, I guess." Still openly confused, Ash scratched his head. "But if it was her idea, why was she…naked? And tied up? And had that ball in her mouth?"

Misty sighed. _Oh May, screw you and absolute lack of shame about your kinks and making me have to defend them for you._ "That was…also her idea."

"It…was?"

"Yeah."

"…why?"

"Look, she's into a lot of weird stuff, okay? She gets off on it!"

"Oh. Uh, _okay?"_

Misty grimaced and shrugged. "That's just how she is." Shaking her head, she said, "So, do you want to meet her? I mean, properly this time?"

"Well, yeah!" Ash said. "I mean, sure, she sounds…odd, but she was still extremely cool, and she totally saved my butt!"

Misty was starting to notice a pattern with Ash, mainly that he tended to become incredibly infatuated with those who had rescued him. Which…could prove interesting.

"All right, but brace yourself," she said as she expanded the human ball. "She'll still going to be naked, after all."

Ash swallowed nervously, but then he nodded.

Misty was about to release her friend, but then she stopped. Frowning, she brought the human ball closer to her eyes.

"Uh, Ash?" She tapped her finger to a line of lights along the ball's perimeter. "Why is her HP so low?"

Ash inhaled sharply. "Oh, no! I forgot! She got really hurt when we were getting away! There was a Sableye, and she beat it, but it also took a big bite out of her, and I tried to help her, but I only had a couple of tiny potions that weren't enough, and-"

"Okay, okay, calm down," Misty said hastily. "You're fine! I'm just glad I saw this before I woke her up."

Sighing, she unshouldered her pack and opened it up. "You're paying me back for this, you nympho-pyromaniac," she muttered as she took out a Super Potion.

"What?"

"Talking to her, not you." She inserted the potion's nozzle into the round button and injected. There was a hiss, and then the rest of the lights lit up. Nodding in satisfaction, she put the empty bottle away and stood back up. "Okay, here she comes."

Misty tapped the human ball's top with her thumb, and it popped open, releasing May's essence, which then collected itself between herself and Ash and took the form of the young, naked brunette.

Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Misty was glad to see May. Sure, May might be a kinky, violent weirdo, but she was _Misty's_ kinky, violent weirdo, and Misty's job meant that she didn't have many friends her own age. Besides, there were also the obvious benefits of having a cute naked girl around that had no problem whatsoever with being ogled. Or felt up. Or…pretty much anything, actually.

Sure enough, once May had fully materialized, the first thing she did was look around in confusion, inspecting first her surroundings and then her legs, lifting them each in turn to see if they were still damaged.

"Hmmmph," she muttered, sounding pleased to find herself fully healed.

And then she looked up and saw Ash.

"Uh, hello again!" he said with an anxious wave. "It's great to see-"

"Mmmph!"

May leapt right at him. As he had not been expecting such an enthusiastic greeting, Ash was knocked right off his feet and sent backfirst into the log.

"Oof!"

Stunned, Ash shook his head and looked up. What he saw didn't make gathering his senses any easier.

May was seated on top of him, hips straddling his lap, legs splayed to either side, and her breasts right at his eye-level. Before he had time to really process this, she beamed at him and leaned in to nuzzle his cheek with her own, all the while making happy muffled sounds.

Misty sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. Well, at least May hadn't lost her affectionate nature, nor her talent for making friends.

"All right, that's enough," she said as she grabbed May's bare shoulder. "I know you're happy to see him, but you'll give the poor guy a heart attack if you keep that up."

May whirled around in surprise and, seeing Misty, let out an overjoyed cry.

Moments later she had leapt at Misty much as she had Ash, only Misty had been expecting it, and was able to catch her without losing her balance, holding her up with her hands on May's ass while May wrapped her legs around her and pressed in closer.

"Miiiisssyyy!" May mumbled as she burrowed her face into Misty's neck and shoulder. "Miiiisssyyy! Miiiisssyyy!"

"All right, all right!" Misty said as she gave May's ass cheek an affectionate pat. "I'm happy to see you too!"

Setting the other girl down, Misty said, "Well, it looks like we all need to get caught up here, so what say I ungag and untie you for a bit so we can talk properly?"

May rolled her eyes skyward and tilted her head this way and that as if she was unsure about what Misty had suggested.

"Oh, knock it off," Misty said. "There's a time and place for everything, and now we need you loosed."

Snickering, May nodded.

She held still as Misty reached up to undo her gag's straps and pulled it off. May opened and closed her mouth several times, frowned, and worked her tongue into her cheeks, massaging the muscles. "Woo. Love that thing, but it really makes your cheeks sore after a while," she said.

"Yeah, and you know all about sore cheeks, don't you," Misty muttered as she went to work on the ropes around May's wrists.

"Only when you're here with me," May said. Misty shook her head and smacked her palm into May's ass, making her yelp.

Misty finally got the rope loose, making the whole thing come free. "Oh, yeah, I definitely had that on too long," May muttered as she rubbed some circulation back into her wrists. Entwining her fingers, she bent her waist back and stretched her arms over her head, making the joints pop. "Oh, that feels so good…"

While Misty was certainly enjoying the view, there was someone else present, someone…unused to May's way. She cleared her throat and said, "Ah, May?"

"Hmmm?"

Then May looked down and saw Ash still sprawled back against the log, gawking up at her, his eyes quickly flitting back and forth from her tits to her pussy.

"Oh, right!" Lowering her arms, May waved at him. "Hey there, nice to see you again! Ash, right?"

Ash managed a slight nod.

"Well, I'm May! Nice to meet you, and great job back at the PokeCenter! Looks like you got us away!" She lifted her leg and bent and unbent the knee a few times. "And got me fixed up. Which is great, because that _hurt!"_

Ash nodded again.

"So…it seems you've met Misty, right?"

"Right," Misty said with a roll of her eyes.

"I guess you've explained to him…about me?"

"I did. He knows to keep quiet."

"Great!" May pulled off her bandana and ran her fingers through her hair. "That's such a relief. I mean, Team Rocket is bad enough, but can you imagine if we had to deal with my _dad_ on top of everything?" Then she frowned, and pulled her bandana back on. "Though that reminds me. Exactly _why_ did I end up fighting Team Rocket in a darkened PokeCenter?"

"I…I don't know," Ash squeaked. "They just showed up!"

"Really? Figures." May put her hands on her hips and shook her head. "Those jerks, always causing trouble and wrecking everything! And oh yeah, where were you, Misty? Why was Ash the one doing your job? You're supposed to be my trainer, remember? So where were you?"

Misty cleared her throat. "Right. Uh, about that. Hey, May! Turns out we now have something big in common!"

"Um…" May scratched her head and frowned. "We're…both incredibly cute?"

"No. I mean, yes, but no."

"We have the two top scores on _Dance Dance Evolution_ at the Celadon City arcade?"

"Also no, but yes, but also no."

"We both really like getting licked in our-"

"No! I'm talking about something _new!"_

May spread her hands and shrugged.

"Show her, Ash," Misty said.

By then, Ash had managed to pull himself up enough so that he was sitting on the log instead of being sprawled against it. "Show her? Oh, uh, sure."

Ash held out Misty's human ball, still notable for the four slashes on the top.

"Is that my human ball?" May said. "What did you do to it?"

"Nope!" Misty said. "Actually, it's mine."

May's face screwed up in confusion. "Yours? But that would mean…"

Then she stiffened, her arms held straight at her sides, and her eyes going as wide as Fearow eggs. "Misty?"

"Um, yup!" Misty said with a nervous laugh. "I'm a PokeGirl now!" There was a pause, and then she threw her hands out and said, "Surprise!"

May's jaw dropped open, and her hands slowly lifted to her temples. "No. No way. No. Way. Are you serious?"

"Yeah, I am! Took me by surprise too, let me-"

Suddenly May sprung forward, threw her arms around Misty's waist, lifted her fully off the ground, and started swinging her about while cheering, "Haha, you did it! You saw the light! Welcome, my sister, we have been expecting you!"

"Okay, okay," Misty laughed. "Put me down before my head pops off."

May did so, but her excitement did not dull. "So was it Ash? Did he catch you?"

Misty's head was still spinning a little, and she had trouble keeping her feet beneath her. "Uh, yeah. Sure was."

"Wow!" May then turned to Ash and ran right up to him. Taken by surprise, he cringed back as if expecting her to attack him.

Instead, she just lightly socked him in the shoulder. "You absolute _stud!_ Congratulations, Ash! You hit the jackpot!"

"Uh…thanks?"

"So how'd you do it?" May sat as she plopped down on the log next to him. She crossed her legs and entwined her fingers over her knee. "Beat her at a Pokemon battle? If so, you have my respect, because that could not have been easy. Hey, wait. Misty, why didn't you use me?"

As much as Misty was enjoying how much Ash was wilting under his close proximity to May's nude body, she felt the need to defend her honor as a trainer. "Wait, no! He didn't beat me! I got hit by lightning!"

"Uh…what?"

Ash sighed. "It's true. I was being chased by a flock of Spearows when I ran into her, and she tried to save me, but then there was a big storm and she got hit by lightning, and I didn't know how else to save her!"

"Uh…huh. Misty, is that what happened?"

"Yup," Misty admitted. "I know it sounds stupid, but that's apparently what happened."

"And that's why we were at that PokeCenter!" Ash went on. "And why I got all these bandages. We were healing her up when Team Rocket attacked."

"Wow." May blinked. Then she snapped her fingers in front of her nose. "Oh yeah! Hey, where's that Nurse Joy? She was really nice, and I went through a lot of trouble to save her."

"I…" Ash's shoulder slumped. "I don't know," he admitted. "I went to the bathroom after we got out, and when I came back she was gone."

" _Gone?_ Like she had been kidnapped, or just wandered off?"

"I don't know. I got scared and ran."

"Huh…" May frowned. "Well, uh, that's…concerning."

"Yeah," Ash sighed. "I didn't like leaving her, but I didn't know what else to do."

"Well, tell you what!" Misty said. "No one's seen me yet, so tomorrow I'll sneak into town and look around. Maybe I'll be able to find out what happened to her."

"Really?" Ash perked up. "You'll do that?"

"Sure! I mean, we probably have to go back in anyway to pick some stuff up. So nothing says we can't also find out what happened to her."

"Wow, thanks!"

"Still, I apparently missed a _lot,"_ May said, scratching her head.

"Well, let's get you caught up then," Misty said. "Though, uh, first things first."

"What?"

Putting one hand on her hip, Misty dipped a single finger over to Ash, who had scooted around so that he was facing away from May with both hands clutching at his crotch.

"The poor guy's about pop off right here and now, so while we're telling the story, maybe you'd better put your clothes on."

…

_Interlude 2_

How did it come to this?

Cassidy sat in the barren interrogation room of the Viridian City Police Headquarters. The room was done in only varying shades of grey: pale grey floor, dark grey walls, while the roof split the difference. The only pieces of furniture was a long wooden table with three cheap plastic chairs: the one in which Cassidy was sitting and two empty ones across from her. Hanging overhead was a light fixture with a single bulb, which cast a beam of light down on the table while leavened the edges of the room darkened. Set in the wall behind those was a large, rectangular sheet of black glass, no doubt a two-way mirror.

Arrested. Cassidy had been _arrested!_ That wasn't right. The only times Cassidy was supposed to be arrested when it was part of some daring heist that required someone on the inside. She wasn't supposed to be _actually_ arrested!

It wasn't fair. The plan had been stupid to begin with, and she had been the only one holding things together until the end. Why did she end up being the one arrested? If there was any justice in the universe, only that dimwitted molester Jessie would have been taken away in handcuffs with Meowth stuffed into a kitty carrier, freeing Cassidy to rejoin Butch and get back to actually being able to do her job!

But here she was, in handcuffs in an interrogation room. It wasn't _fair!_

She had no idea how long she had been left alone in that room. Minutes? Hours? Days, maybe? She had long since lost her perception of time. She still ached from the hurts she had gained in the PokeCenter. She was hungry. She was thirsty. And she would soon need to use the bathroom. And yet no one had shown up to actually interrogate her.

It was a stalling tactic. They wanted her to break. They wanted to drive her mad, to make her desperate to talk. Well, it wasn't going to work! Cassidy was a professional! They would have to actually torture her in order to get anything from her!

Hopefully they wouldn't. Cassidy didn't want to be tortured.

More time passed, and Cassidy grew ever more uncomfortable. She shifted her weight, crossed her legs, uncrossed them, and started to rub her thighs together. No one came to talk to her.

She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the ceiling. In her mind she reviewed all the coping strategies she had learned in case of capture, how to prepare one's mind to make it more resistant to interrogation.

Unfortunately, there was nothing about staving off complete boredom.

Finally, just when she felt that she could stand it no longer, the door opened.

"Oh, so soon?" Cassidy said as the Viridian City Officer Jenny entered the room. "I was about to take a nap. Can't go skipping your beauty sleep, you know! Well, I guess you wouldn't, seeing how-"

"You have a visitor," Officer Jenny said curtly.

"Uh, I have a what?" Cassidy's mind raced. The only people that would know her well enough to visit her had disowned her long ago or were criminals themselves. And if it was any of them, why would they be visiting her in the interrogation room. Weren't there special rooms for that sort of thing?

Officer Jenny stood aside, allowing a man to enter the room.

When she saw who it was, Cassidy inhaled sharply through her teeth.

It was a young man with spiky aquamarine hair, cold teal eyes, and a cleans-shaved face devoid of all humor. He wore a smart uniform of white and black, and his gloved hands were clasped behind his back.

And on the right breast of his shirt was a scarlet R.

"Archer," Cassidy whispered.

Rocket Executive Archer glanced over his shoulder at Officer Jenny, who nodded and exited the room, shutting the door behind her.

Petrified by fear and confusion, Cassidy watched as Archer slowly walked to the table, his heavy boots echoing through the enclosed space. He stood next to one of the chairs across from Cassidy and laid a hand on its back, but didn't sit. "Rocket Grunt Cassidy," he said, his voice smooth, polite, and cold. "Finding you here, under these circumstances, is quite the disappointment."

Cassidy almost started protesting, almost began to explain that no, it wasn't her fault, it was Jessie and Meowth's, but then she realized that doing so would only get her into more trouble, so she held her tongue.

"I have heard of your activities this evening, and it has been a total disaster from conception to aftermath. Firstly, you and your partners decided to perform a raid on the Viridian City PokeCenter, a venture so foolish that I am stunned that anyone would have thought it a good idea. Why?"

Cassidy flinched. "W-Well, we thought there would be more trainers there, trainers with Pokemon and PokeGirls we could steal! We didn't know it would be deserted!"

"That is not the point. The point is deciding to go ahead with the raid in the first place. Why did you do it?"

At this, Cassidy was a little confused. Raiding PokeCenters was a time-honored tradition in Team Rocket. Why wouldn't they? "I-It wasn't my idea!"

"I know. But you still went along with it. You neglected to inform headquarters of your plan, thinking we would think nothing of it. But we do. We think quite a lot of it, and none of our thoughts are good." Archer's countenance darkened. "Grunt Cassidy, Viridian City is _Rocket_ territory. We own this city, from the hospital to the public bathrooms to the sprinklers in the park. Five percent on even the lowliest potion sold goes into our pockets. And whether or not the staff is aware of it, the PokeCenter is _our_ property. As such, having our property vandalized by our own agents, and badly at that, reflects poorly on our organization as a whole. We cannot allow that."

"What?" Cassidy gasped. "We…do? But I didn't know! Nobody told us!"

"Nobody told you because you didn't need to know." Archer released the chair and started to walk around the room. "We keep such information on a need-to-know basis, so as to prevent sensitive information from getting out. Viridian City is our base of operations near Indigo League, and if all our agents in the field were to know that, having even one captured would compromise our hold here. Which is why proper procedure mandates that all heists be cleared with your immediate administrator, which you did _not_ do, resulting in our current calamity."

He stopped behind Cassidy, who gulped and did her best to keep her gaze on the table before her.

"The PokeCenter has been damaged and must be shut down, a PokeCenter that we are funding. As a result, all trainers in the area have been inconvenienced, many of them passing through on their way to the League, and all of them will know that Team Rocket is responsible. That puts undue attention on the city. People will wonder what else we might be doing in Viridian City, and thus our operations must lie low." He laid a hand on Cassidy's shoulder. "You understand, then, why we are upset."

Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut and gritted her teeth. While working with Jessie, Cassidy had endured a number of physical degradations, as the other Grunt had constantly attempted to grope and even penetrate her in a show of dominance. In contrast, Archer was only putting a hand on her shoulder.

And yet it was so much worse, because at least with Jessie, she had just been _trying_ to prove a point, _trying_ to get one over on the clearly superior Cassidy. But with Archer, no overt show was needed. He _owned_ her, and they both knew it.

"I-I do," she said, and internally winced at the stammer. "I offer no excuse."

"Hmmm." Archer removed his hand and continued his slow trek around the table. It was all Cassidy could do not to slump forward in relief.

"Grunt Cassidy, I confess, you have put us in a rather unfortunate position," he said, trailing one finger along edge of the table as he walked. "Until the last few weeks, your record was exemplary, and we had such high hopes for you. However, while your recent string of failures can be overlooked as being part of the learning process, this one is a bit more…extreme. This was not just a failure; this was a _disaster._ And disasters have consequences." He finally reached the chair across from Cassidy, pulled it out, and sat down, entwining his fingers in front of his nose with his elbows resting on the table as he stared directly into her eyes. "Do you know what we do to Grunts that have perpetuated such disasters? Specifically, female ones?"

Cassidy felt an icy dagger drag along her spine. Female Grunts who embarrassed Team Rocket often were stripped of their memberships and were reduced to merchandise, winding up for sale at discount prices on the black market. There were several known "favored" clients who especially enjoyed acquiring those, and the horror stories she had heard of what was done to them made even a career criminal like herself quail.

Her lips moved, though she found herself unable to speak above a whisper. "Please. Don't."

Archer held her gaze for an elongated period of time. Cassidy could feel his eyes burrowing deep into hers, almost as if he were stripping away at her thoughts. Could he? Psychics did exist, after all, and not all announced their abilities. Plus, Cassidy had heard dark rumors of strange experiments being conducted by Rocket scientists in some secret location, something to do with psychic Pokemon. If Team Rocket had found a way to harvest such abilities, they would no doubt gift them to their trusted executives, of which Archer was one.

Then Archer blinked and leaned back, so suddenly that it made Cassidy jump a little. "Grunt Cassidy," he said, draping one arm behind his chair and crossing his legs. "Do you know _why_ we had you and Butch partnered with Blue Team, with Jessie and James? And why we insisted that you continue to work with them afterward as penance?"

"I…" This sudden change in conversation was so strange, and Archer was now almost casual, that Cassidy had no idea how she was supposed to respond. "Er, I had…wondered?"

"No doubt. It's because they are fools."

Cassidy blinked.

"Rest assured, we are well aware of their almost suicidal incompetence. The number of heists, schemes, and plans that they have bungled takes up several folders back at headquarters. However, though fools they might be, they are very valuable fools, which is what we were hoping you would come to learn."

Cassidy slowly exhaled. "And…how are they valuable, Executive?"

"As distractions," Archer said. "Their exploits, while never successful, are still fantastically loud, bombastic, and attention-grabbing, and despite always failing, they possess a certain talent for survival, always somehow managing to escape and regroup, and their dogmatic persistence means we can count on them to be up to something again very quickly. Honestly, it's quite astonishing. If they were able to temper that energy with actual intelligence then they'd be unstoppable." He chuckled and shrugged, as if to say, _Well, what can one do?_

Cassidy swallowed. How strange. It seemed that Archer was almost…fond of Blue Team.

"However, they still serve a very valuable purpose. The majority of times Team Rocket has made the news, it is because of them. Every time someone hears of a failed raid or heist, they are most likely involved. They fill the front pages with extraordinary failures, painting Team Rocket to the average citizen as being nothing more than an organization of bumbling buffoons, ones who are entertaining, but otherwise not worth worrying about." He shrugged again. "True, tales and rumors of our true nature do circulate. Some measure of fear and respect is necessary, of course. But so long as they continue to gather eyes toward them, we continue our true work without notice."

"Oh," was all Cassidy could think of to say.

"And that is why we wanted you to work with them. Or rather, learn to _use_ them." Archer uncrossed his legs and leaned forward, folding his arms on the table. "You often hear braggarts claim that their plans are 'foolproof,' but those who do so are underestimating the chaotic ingenuity of fools, marking them as fools themselves. In order to succeed in this world, one does not seek to make one's plans resistant to fools, one seeks to anticipate the involvement of fools and use them to one's own advantage." The fingers on Archer's right hand began to methodically drum against the tabletop, pounding out a repeating percussion that was oddly in sync with Cassidy's increasing heartrate. "You and Butch ought to have recognized Blue Team's natural inclinations and made us of them. Instead, you tried to resist. You tried to keep them out of the way while you did things as you always have done. And as such, you failed."

"Oh."

Archer nodded. "Fortunately for you, the situation is not unsalvageable. And despite your shortcomings, we are not in the habit of discarding that which holds value. You will be given the opportunity to redeem yourself."

The rock-solid knot in Cassidy's stomach unwound itself, just a little, allowing her to breathe the tiniest bit easier. "Th-Thank you, Executive."

"Your target is, of course, the boy: Ash Ketchum. Unimportant in of himself, he is still a loose end we'd rather not have running around, and he does still have Grunt Jessie in his possession. Retrieve him, his PokeGirls, and Grunt Jessie, and bring them all to us."

"Of course. I won't let you down!"

"See that you don't. You will be reunited with your partner for this endeavor. We are in the process of contacting Rocket Grunt Butch even as we speak."

Cassidy's heart soared at the news. This was wonderful! This was marvelous! This was better than she could have ever hoped, and if she wasn't certain that he would find such behavior distasteful, she would have thrown herself at Executive Archer's feet and started kissing his boots in gratitude while weeping for joy.

"As well as the remainder of Blue Team. The lesson still must be learned, after all."

Cassidy's heart plunged into the icy abyss. This was horrible! This was disastrous! This was the worst thing to ever happen to her, and she found herself within the grips of the almost irresistible urge to tear out her own hair while screaming to the sky.

Fortunately, she was able to quell it. "Yes, sir," was all she said.

"Good." Archer then stood and walked over to the door. He lightly rapped his knuckles against it, and it opened, revealing Officer Jenny. "You will be alerted when the rest of the team has been gathered, after which you will be fully debriefed. Until then, the good officer here will show you to your cell."

Cassidy swallowed. "Um, my cell?"

"Of course," Archer said with a wry smile. "You were, after all, arrested. One must keep up appearances, after all."

He left the room, and Officer Jenny did not.

Cassidy looked up at the corrupt police officer, unsure of what to expect from her. "So," she said. "I guess…I'm in your hands?"

"You could say that." Officer Jenny then removed a pair of handcuffs from her belt and started swinging the loop around one finger. She grinned in a manner that Cassidy did not like at all. "It'll be a few days before the rest of your team gets here. Until then, we're going to have some fun. Well, I am, anyway."

…

Working together, Ash and Misty explained to May the events of the last day, from how they had first ran into one another in the wild to the Spearow attack and subsequent lightning strike to the Team Rocket attack at the PokeCenter and how narrowly Ash had avoided capture.

"Wow," May say when they finished. "You guys have had a _day!"_

While they had been talking, Misty had produced May's outfit from her pack, consisting of a short white skirt over a pair of black bike shorts and sleeveless red shirt. Ash wasn't sure if it was because she had been listening intently to their story or if she was deliberately teasing him, but he did notice that she took her sweet time putting everything on.

Truthfully, he had mixed feelings about her current state of dress. On the one hand, it was kind of a relief, since it was a lot easier to focus without her being naked. On the other, it was also a disappointment because, well, for obvious _reasons…_

"Yeah, that's the situation," Misty said. "We both wanted to go see the world, and Ash here needs someone to help him along on his journey. It's a win-win!"

Suddenly May grinned and leaned over to squeeze Misty's butt with one hand. "Are you sure that's the _only_ reason, and not something a little more…blatant?"

Instead of slapping May's hand away, Misty just sighed and poked May in the nose. "Hey. Time and place. Now is planning time, not groping time."

"Liar." May rose up to give Misty a quick peck on the lips. " _All_ times are groping time."

And here they went again. Ash hastily closed his eyes and started running through time-tables in his head. Seriously, were they _always_ like that with each other?

1x1=1

2x2=4

3x3=9

4x4=16…

Then he heard a giggle and felt the log shift. Opening his eyes, he saw that both Misty and May had sat down to either side of him.

"Hey, has anyone ever told you that you're kind of cute when you're flustered?" May said, laying a hand on Ash's knee.

"Uh, really?"

Then Misty looped both arms around his bicep. "Oh, don't sell him short! He's _adorable!"_

"And he's stuck with us!" May said with a wink, poking her finger into Ash's cheek.

"Uh, uh, uh…" Ash hastily looked from May, to Misty, and back to May again. Panic levels were rising, as were…other things. "Are you two… _always_ like this with each other?"

"Hmmm." Misty made a show of tapping her lower lip in thought. Then she grinned. "Yup!"

"It used it drive my dad _nuts!"_ May added. "But that just made us do it more!"

"Hey, remember that time at the benefit dinner, after we had snuck off together, and that waiter found us in the janitor's closet with my head under your skirt?"

"Oh, yeah! Sheesh, the poor guy."

"What? I tipped him well."

"You _also_ left him tied up and gagged in that same closet, and promised to rip his balls off if he told anyone!"

"Oh, yeah. I did. You think I overreacted?"

As this was going on, Ash began to have second thoughts about their current arrangement. Misty and May might be really cute and friendly, but it was turning out that they were also kind of terrifying.

Unfortunately, that was only serving to make him even _more_ hard. He could feel it poking up beneath his cupped hands.

"Oooh, what do we have _here?"_ Before Ash could react, Misty had grabbed him by the wrists and pushed his hands away, exposing the stiffness of his erection.

"Hey!"

"Did it get bigger?" May said, leaning in close to see. "It did! But I was naked then! Ash, what gives?"

Ash desperately tried wrestle his hands away from Mist's grasp. "Let me go!"

"I'll tell you what it is!" Misty laughed. "That's a fear boner!"

"Why, _Ash!"_ May cried as she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. "I scared you so much that you're horny! That's the nicest compliment any guy's ever given me!"

Well, she wasn't wrong, but that didn't lessen how scared he was right then. As May continued to cuddle him, he shot a pleading look over to Misty and mouthed, _Help me._

Instead of doing so, she merely dropped her eyelids and smirked, and it was then that he realized that as cute as these two were, he had bitten off a lot more than he could chew by having them along.

…

_Interlude 3_

It was not _quite_ the lower point of Meowth's career. The absolute lowest had been a truly abhorrent day that had involved the carjacking of a large truck, a terrible miscommunication as to what the truck's cargo actually was, a blown tire, and a whole lot of Tauros dung that had been intended as fertilizer. _That_ had been the lowest point of his career.

But even so, this ranked pretty close.

He was trapped in a pet carrier, lying flat on his stomach with his head propped up on one paw while he drummed the claws of the other against the floor. The sheer depth of his team's failure had already been made clear to him (how the hell was he supposed to know that Team Rocket owned that PokeCenter?! Nobody ever told him anything!), and now he had been stuffed into a small storage room in the back of the Viridian City Police Station to await his fate.

That was bad enough. The mistake, getting kicked by a fiery foot in the face, being launched through a window into a nearby alley, almost getting mauled by a Growlithe, finding out that the pair of nitwits he was working with couldn't even handle one nurse and a couple of brats, getting chewed out like the whole thing had been his fault, and stuff into a tiny little box were a string of humiliations almost too much to bear.

Unfortunately, he wasn't alone. And his fellow prisoners had plenty to say.

"RATICATE!" screamed Cassidy's bloated rat. It was stuck in an entirely too small glass box with a plastic floor coated with pencil shavings. "Rati! Raticate, Raticate, RatiRATICATE!"

(translation: "This is _intolerable!_ Why am I being held accountable for my trainer's mistakes? I demand to speak with a higher authority! I demand adequate representation!")

Over in a short cage just large enough for Ekans to curl up in, the snake glowered at the enraged rat and hissed out, "Ekanssss! Ek! Ek! Ek _anssss!"_

(translation: "Oh, will you just shut up? I got cooked twice doing my job, while you just up and split! Don't recall seeing you backing us up! Really great teamwork there!"

Tied up in what essentially amounted to a black rubber balloon hanging from the ceiling, Sableye twitched and thrashed about while cackling to anyone who would listen. "Sableye! Say! Bel! EEEEEYYYYYYYEEEEEE, EHEHEHEHE!"

(translation: "I touched her boobies, ehehehehe!")

Everyone ignored it. But then, everyone always ignored Sableye.

Raticate furiously glared at Ekans. "Rati _cate!"_ it spat. "Cate! Ratiticate!"

(translation: "Don't give me that lip, you poisonous garden hose! It was a rational tactical decision, something none of you seem to have any capacity for!")

Meowth sighed and flipped over onto his back. He liked the rest of the Rocket Pokemon better when they were in pokeballs.

Ekans reared up as high as the cage roof would allow (not much) and snarled, "Ek _annnnsssss!_ Ek!"

(translation: "Don't you call me a garden hose, you obese cheese-gobbler! At least I took one of them down! You never so much as laid a single paw on anyone!")

"Raticaaaaaaaaaaate!" came the screeching reply. "Rat!"

(translation: "And yet I'm the only one to not faint! Maybe if you thought as much as you slithered, you might have not been barbequed _twice!")_

"Sableye," gibbered the balloon. "Ehehehe. Sable. Sabl _eye!"_

(translation: "They were soft and springy, ehehehe, like cotton candy!")

Collared over in a tiny kennel, Houndour raised its head to glower balefully at the bickering rodent and reptile. _"Houn!"_ it barked.

(translation: "Cease your incessant squabbling, both of you! Our defeat shames us all, but to recklessly assign blame rather than to take responsibility for our respective mistakes is the very height of childishness! The truth is, we all shoulder some of the burden, and if we wish to function effectively as a unit, it would behoove us all to examine where we went wrong and adjust our strategies, so in the future we might redeem ourselves and claim glorious victory in the name of Team-")

"Ek!"

"Rat!"

(translation: "Shut up!")

Sableye started cackling. Again. "Oh, Sableye!"

(translation: "You got taken out by a little boy with a fire extinguisher!")

Houndour turned its burning gaze over to the thrashing balloon. "Houn _dour…"_ it growled, the syllables rumbling deep in its throat.

(translation: "Watch what you say, little ghost. Or I will bite that slobbering tongue off next time I am able!"

"Ha! Sableyeyeye!"

(translation: "Ha! Then it will lick its way out while I eat my way in! Just like how a bit that kid's leg and licked her face! She tasted nice and _spicy!_ Like taco sauce!")

Houndour bared its teeth as it snarled, steaming drool dripping from its jowls. "Houndou-."

(translation: "Little imp, I will have you know-")

"Say! Bel! Eyeyeyeyeyeyeyeyehahahahaha!"

(translation: "I! Grabbed! Her! _Tiddies!_ Hahahahahahaha!"

Finally fed up, Meowth raised his head and snapped, "Will all you amateurs jus' stop _yappin'?_ It's all of yous fault that we're-"

A chorus of barks, hisses, squeaks, and cackles blew back at him.

(translation: "Shut up, Meowth!")

Growling, Meowth flipped onto his back and rested his paws on his stomach. "Fine, den," he muttered. "I hope whatever happens, I never hafta work wit' you losers ever _again!"_

…

 _Maybe we're taking this a little too far,_ Misty thought as she and May continued to press themselves into Ash. But could anyone blame them? It was just so much fun!

Ash's blush had only continued to deepen, his trembling only getting stronger, and his, well, his little man only standing up straighter at attention. Certainly the way May was moving her hand up his leg toward his crotch wasn't helping, and if nobody stopped her, she was moments away from gifting the boy with his first handjob. And knowing May, Misty was certain that she would go through with it.

She didn't, but that was surprisingly due to Ash himself, who suddenly cleared his throat and said, "Um, b-by the way, May. Why did you want to be a PokeGirl so badly anyway?"

"Hmmm?" May's hand paused. "Really? You don't know?"

"W-Well, I mean, it does kind of mean you belong to someone else, and you have to fight a lot, so-"

"Yeah, but that's the fun part! Besides, check this out!"

May hopped off the log, ran over to the center of the crossroads, and turned to face him and Misty. As Ash watched in befuddlement, she winked and blew him a kiss.

Then her face turned serious. Pressing her palms together, she closed her eyes in concentration. Air was slowly inhaled through her nose, held in, and then let out through her mouth.

And then she began to glow.

The crimson aura rose up around her, writhing like tendrils of flame. And though she was a few meters away, Misty could feel the heat radiating off of her.

Suddenly May's eyes snapped open, both of them burning like hot coals.

"HA!" she cried, punching the air. Flames rushed down her arm, wrapped around her fist, and shot off into the night sky.

"YA!" She bent her body down and kicked up, sending another fireball whooshing off.

"HeeeeeeYAH!" May leapt up and came down, striking the ground with both hands. A column of flame burst up from the ground, surrounding her and shooting up into the sky.

Then the fire snuffed out, the glow subsided, and May stood back up with a sigh.

Then she grinned. "See?" she said, sticking up two fingers in a V. "I can do _that_ now!"

Smoke was still rising from her body, and there was now a scorched circle in the middle of the crossroads.

"Yeah, so in addition to be a little kinky sexfiend, May is also kind of a violent pyromaniac," Misty said.

"Oh," Ash said, not having seemed to have heard her. His eyes were shining with admiration. "Oh! That was amazing!"

"I know, right!" May smirked. Then she frowned. "Uh, but don't touch me for a bit. These clothes are fireproof, but I'm going to be a little warm to the touch for a bit."

"But what about you?" Ash said to Misty. "What type are you?"

"Oh, please," Misty snorted. "Water-type, obviously!"

"Uh, why obviously?"

"Because I specialize in water Pokemon, silly!" Misty hopped up as well and started walking about in a circle. "It's kind of my thing."

"Your _thing?"_ May laughed. "Are you kidding? You're the Ceru- _oomph!"_

Misty clapped her hands over May's mouth. _"Okay,_ let's not go spilling everything!"

"Huh?" Ash said. "Spill what? What was she going to say?"

Unfortunately, May hadn't been lying about being hot to the touch. "Ow!" Misty yanked her hand away and stuck her fingers into her mouth. "Jeez, May! How can you stand that? And never you mind, Ash. A lady's got to have _some_ secrets!" She shot May a warning look, who merely sighed and shrugged.

Ash still looked confused. "But I don't understand. What does that have to do you being a water trainer?"

"Ah, ah, ah!" Misty waggled a finger at him. "No prying! That's _my_ business!"

"Uh…well, if you say so."

"All you have to know is that water types are my specialty, so of course I'm a water type now!" Then Misty frowned. "Though I guess it'll take some time to get a handle on things. I mean, goodness knows how long it took May here to learn even the slightest bit of control."

"I burned down a bus stop!" May said proudly.

"Yes, you did!" By then May's skin had cooled enough for Misty to grab her by the nose and wagged her head back and forth. "And we had to walk all the way back to town because of you! It took us two days!"

May pushed her hand off. "And you _loved_ it," she said leaning into Misty, making sure her bosom was pressing into her trainer's upper arm. "Didn't you, my little tomboyish mermaid?"

Sighing, Misty turned away and folded her arms. "Only _some_ parts," she huffed.

May squeezed in closer, resting her chin on Misty's shoulder. "Hey, remember when we came across that lake?" she murmured into Misty's ear. She pressed one finger against the top of Misty's spine, and then trailed it down her back ever so slowly, sending up shivers in its wake. "And we found out how _weak_ swimming makes me now." The finger traveled off the edge of Misty's shirt and onto the bare skin of her midriff. It paused at the small of her back, and then began to creep around the front, the other fingers joining it to slide over Misty's stomach. Meanwhile, her other hand came up to lightly caress Misty's cheek.

Misty, who was fully aware of what May was doing, that this was mainly to tease Ash, found herself only able to put up the weakest of resistance. She moaned, and started to pull away, but May held her in place.

"And I was lying there so helpless," May continued to whisper. She let the hand on Misty's face drop down, coming to rest on the base of her neck, fingers idly running over the bumps of her collarbone. "And you could do anything you wanted to me." It slid down further, pausing over the shallow swell of Misty's breast, and then squeezed, her middle finger gently rolling Misty's nipple where it poked up against the fabric of her shirt.

"And you did. You did things that had never been done to me before. You made me do things I didn't even know two girls could do with each other. I'd never felt so powerless before, so…controlled. That sort of thing, it changes a girl." The hand on Misty's stomach maneuvered around so that the fingers were pointed downward, and then it glided down, over her navel, over the top of her slender hips, over her denim shorts, to come to rest right over Misty's groin.

Misty's eyelids fluttered. A pleased moan was rising up, and she had to bite down on her lip to hold it in.

"And that was when I knew, I made the right choice, to let you _use_ me, to let you _possess_ me, to let you _own_ me, forever and ever." The hand on Misty's crotch squeezed, pressing her hips back into May's.

"M-May," Misty stammered. "S-Stop." Of course she was ignored, and part of her was glad for it. Her knees were starting to go weak, and she was tempted to just let them, to collapse into May's arms, to let her use her just like Misty had used May back at the lake. Her hips started to move of their own accord, rolling about and pressing forward, trying to grind into May's hand, hoping for more friction, for more attention, for more warmth.

She felt May's hot breath on her neck, felt her warm cheek press into her own. The hand resting on her chest slid back a bit, trapping her stiff nipple between two fingers and squeezing. May then turned her head ever so slightly, her nose burrowing into Misty's neck just under her ear, her mouth pressed into the silky skin. Her lips opened, and Misty felt the wet warmness of May's tongue as it began to slide up her neck.

The moan escaped, and Misty leaned into May, her arm coming up to cup May's head.

And suddenly it was over. May abruptly drew back, releasing Misty's crotch and chest. Now with weak legs and a unexpected lack of support, Misty fell back and landed on her ass with a surprised yelp.

Grinning, May turned back to Ash. "And that's how you do it!" she said. "Just treat her like that, and she'll melt in your hands. Promise!"

Irritated, frustrated, slightly impressed, and _unbelievably_ horny, Misty looked up to scowl at her big tease of a best friend. "Oh, you rotten, slimy, Trubbish-humping-"

"Hey!" May laughed. She extended her hand. "Language!"

Grumbling, Misty made a show of ignoring the offer and pulled herself up. She brushed her backside off, already planning on how she was going to get revenge.

And then she noticed Ash.

The rookie trainer was still on the log, sitting straight up at attention with his hands on his knees. His eyes were bulging out, and his breathing was slow, deep, and had an edge of franticness. Clearly he had been enjoying the show.

"Oh, what are _you_ looking at?" Misty snapped. Then she yanked her pack off the ground and shouldered it with loud _humph!_ Without another word she stormed up the northern path, the one leading to Pewter City.

Laughing, May called, "Come on, Ash! Let's go find someplace to make camp!"

"Oh! Uh, right! Hang on, wait for me!"

Humming, May hurried until she had caught up to Misty. She reached over and took Misty's hand in her own, merrily swinging it as if her trainer were not glaring daggers at her.

"So," Misty said. "What exactly was _that_ about?"

"Well, that boy's your trainer, isn't he? Then he's going to have to know how to handle you!"

"Right," Misty said. "Except it wasn't. You just wanted to tease the poor guy."

"Oh, like you've been doing anything else!"

"Okay. Fair. But in this case, I got secondhand teased as a result! No, wait, I take it back. I was the one getting groped, so I got twice as much teased as he did!"

May playfully bumped her shoulder. "You liked it though."

Closing her eyes, Misty inhaled through her nose, held it, and slowly exhaled out her mouth. "Once he's asleep, you are finishing the job. Because if you don't, you're going back into that human ball, and you are _staying_ there!"

"No, I'm not."

"Oh yeah? What makes you so sure? I _own_ you, remember?"

"Because you would miss me too much." Then May glanced over her shoulder. "We're really going to teach him how to become a Pokemon trainer, then?"

Misty looked back as well. Ash was hurrying along, albeit a bit bowlegged to account for the flagpole stuck inside his pants. "No, _I'm_ going to train him how to become a Pokemon _master. You_ are going to help me learn how to use my new powers. _Without_ burning down the forest, thank you very much."

Giggling, May leaned in to plant a peck on Misty's cheek. "This is the best idea you've ever had."

"Thanks," Misty said, though coming from May that did worry her. "I think."

…

_Interlude 4_

In another part of the world, the Alola Islands region to be specific, Butch was watching his and his partner's handiwork, reflecting on a job well done.

The two of them were truly living life to the fullest: reclining on lawnchairs next to the pool of a luxury resort, sipping fruity drinks out of coconuts while being waited upon by PokeGirls wearing nothing but grass skirts and flowered leis as they looked out to sea.

There, a cargo freighter was drydocked and being swarmed by police. Until very recently, the freighter had been carrying a heavily protected cargo of frozen Dittos, which had been intended for repopulation purposes at a local rare Pokemon sanctuary. No long. The Dittos were on their way to headquarters, and the police would never find any evidence of the culprits. Another win for Team Rocket.

"You know something, James?" Butch reflected. "You and I make a pretty good team."

"You said it, Biff!" James said.

Butch's eye twitched. "That's…ah, never mind." He held up his coconut. "To partnership!"

"To partnership!" James clacked his coconut against Butch's.

That was when he was approached by one of the PokeGirls, a cute young little thing with a healthy tan, long green hair, and a nice sporty physique. "Excuse me, sir," she said. "You have a call in the manager's office."

A call? Well, that could only mean one thing. "Sure thing, sweetheart," he said as he rose. "Be right back, buddy."

"Sure thing, Bill!" James said, lifting his drink in salute.

Sighing, Butch followed the PokeGirl back into the hotel and over to the manager's office. The manager, a close friend of the local Rocket Boss, silently handed him the phone and left the office with the PokeGirl.

"Hello?" Butch said.

" _It's me,"_ said the voice on the other line.

Butch automatically stood up straighter. Though the caller had not identified himself, he knew the sound of Executive Archer's voice anywhere. "Yes, sir," he said, his mouth drying out.

" _Pack up. You're returning to Kanto."_

"Um…sure. But what is-"

" _There has been a change in plans. Something has come up. We're reuniting you with your old partner."_

Butch sighed with relief. "Oh, thank Jirachi!" he said. "Another day with this idiot and I would've lost my freaking mind!"

…

All in all, it was the best of times, and it was the worst of times.

Ash had finally come to the end of the single most _weirdest_ day of his life. He had been screwed, humiliated, attacked by wild Pokemon, nearly killed, assaulted by the elements, attacked _again_ and this time by criminals, hunted, despaired, scared out of his wits, accidentally committed several crimes, and teased to the point where he felt like he was going to catch fire or burst.

On the other hand, he had been helped, saved, befriended, prevailed, overcome, escaped, and had wound up starting his journey as a Pokemon trainer anyway, and fully equipped no less! And not only that, he had made some friends who knew a thing or two about training Pokemon and had offered to help teach him, and they also so happened to be a pair of really pretty girls his own age, both of whom seemed to like him.

And…each other.

Perhaps a little too much.

Ash still didn't know how he felt about that.

Regardless, at least when they got around to setting up camp, Misty and May had decided to take a break from the constant teasing. A ring had been cleared, two sleeping bags rolled out, and they even managed to make an actual campfire. Or rather, Ash and Misty had gathered fuel, and May had made the campfire, and seemed to enjoy doing it a little too much.

Dinner wasn't anything impressive, just a couple of cans of chili that Misty had in her pack, but since it was the first thing Ash had eaten all day, it tasted better than a gourmet meal prepared by the world's finest chef.

And then things almost seemed…normal. Since the girls had eased off from messing with him, the three of them were soon talking around the campfire like any group of kids out on a camping trip.

"So why do you want to become a trainer so badly, Ash?" Misty asked through spoonfuls of chili.

Ash, who had already finished his bowl, set it aside and wiped his mouth with his wrist. "Oh, mostly because of my dad, I guess."

"Oh…yeah?" May said, sounding a little guarded.

Ash nodded. "He, uh, passed away when I was little, but he used to be an awesome trainer! Back when he was nineteen, he ranked in the top eight of the Indigo Tournament that year, and the next year he made it all the way to the semi-finals. After that he decided to try taking a trip to Kalos, but he ended up hurting his leg really badly while exploring a cave. That's how he met my mom, actually. She was a student on this archaeology dig that found him, and she was the one that patched him up!" He shrugged. "Anyway, he gave up training after that, said it was too dangerous. But nothing's going to stop me from making sure that a Ketchum does end up as League Champion!"

"Aw, that's actually really sweet," May said. "You go, Ash!" She leaned back and stretched her leg out to playfully nudge Ash with her foot. "Carry on that family legacy!"

Ash blushed, but smiled.

"Well, you got a lot of work ahead of you," Misty said as she finished the rest of her bowl. "Tomorrow we'll work on catching you your first Pokemon. And from there, _training!_ I'm going to train you how to train it, so by the time we reach Pewter City, you'll have a fighting chance at earning your first badge!"

Ash's eyes gleamed. His first badge! Oh, how he had dreamed of that day, to lay claim to victory over an official Gym Leader, and earn the first piece to becoming League-

"Wait, hold on," he said. "Pewter City? Why not try the Gym over in Viridian City first? I mean, it's closer."

Misty snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that. The Gym Leader there is only in town a few weeks out of the year, and this isn't one of them. So unless you want to camp out and wait until he gets back, you're better off just marching ahead and saving him for last."

"He is?" Ash blinked. Wait, that didn't make any sense. Why would a Gym Leader neglect their job like that? "Why?"

"Who knows? He's a weirdo, that one."

May nudged her with her hip.

Misty blinked, and quickly added, "Or so I heard."

Ash frowned. What was _that_ all about?

"Well, _I_ hear that they actually sell schedules of when he'll be in town in his Gym's gift shop," May said before he could ask. _"And_ you have to reserve the time to battle him in advance."

"You do? Wow." Ash had thought Gym Leaders did nothing but sit around, waiting to be challenged. Now that he thought about it, he supposed that it made sense for them to take breaks, maybe go on the odd vacation, but to only be around to do your job a few weeks out of the year? That was strange.

That's when May yawned. "Whew. I don't know about you guy, but I'm all tuckered up."

"Oh please, you spent most of the day inside your human ball," Misty snorted.

"Hey. Did _you_ fight off a Raticate, an Ekans, and a Sableye all in one day, and beat them? Did you? Or were you snoozing in your human ball the whole time?"

"Hey, I-"

" _And_ I took a shadow ball to the stomach right after a titty twister! It hurt!"

"Well, _I_ got struck by lightning! And attacked by Spearows! And that's after I got chased by some jackass with his own cheerleading squad! Lost my bike and everything."

"Then we're both tired, thanks for proving my point! And…wait, you lost your bike?"

"And my pole! Today was just awful."

Ash, who had arguably exhausted himself more than either one of them, had started to nod off during their argument, suddenly sat straight up. "Wait a minute! What guy with a cheerleading squad?"

"Ah, just some jerk in a flashy car that tried to catch me," Misty said with a dismissive wave. "Gary something-or-another. That's how I ended up in that forest, actually. I had to take the river to get away from him."

_Gary._

A film of red descended over Ash's vision, and his fingers curled into shaking fists. That Gary. _That Gary!_ He was the reason Misty got hurt in the first place! He was the reason that Ash had to run all the way to the Viridian City PokeCenter just in time to be caught in the attack!

Why…that… _GARY!_

"Wow," May said, staring at him. "I think he's heard of him."

"Heard of him?" Ash giggled. "Oh no, why would I have heard of _that_ jerk? I mean, he only used to be my best friend!"

"Uh, what?" Misty said.

"Yeah, we used to do everything together! We were going to go to be partners! You know, go catch Pokemon together, train them together, win badges together! But then all of a sudden, he's too good to hang out with me! Just because his grandpa's the top Pokemon Professor in Kanto, he gets whatever he wants, and he just has to rub my nose in it! He gets first pick of starters! He gets his own car! He gets _cheerleaders!_ And I got nothing! I stuck by him no matter how many times he got in trouble, and he just drops me like a hot Magby and laughs about it!"

"Whoa," May whistled. "Um, so you're his rival then?"

In answer Ash threw his head back and let out a piercing shriek of pure frustration.

Both Misty and May clapped their hands over their ears and winced. "Yeah, they're definitely rivals!" May said.

"Really! I couldn't tell," Misty said sarcastically.

Ash stopped screaming and slumped, his anger spent. This had truly been a miserable day.

Then Misty breathed out. "Ash?"

"Hmmm?"

"You're winning Indigo League this year."

Ash's head snapped up. "What?"

"I said you're winning Indigo League. You're going to be the first Year-One Rookie to do it. And Gary is going to watch, and we are going to rub so much salt in his wounds. I'm going to make sure of it."

In answer, Misty stood up and marched around the campfire to jab a finger into Ash's forehead. "Yes! I'm making it my personal mission to make you the very best and him the very worst! You're going to win, he's going to lose, and we are all going to laugh about it! And if you manage to defeat him in person, I'm making sure that he also pays me back for my bike, my pole, and my umbrella!"

A savage grin split Ash's features. "Yes," he said, clenching his fists. _"Yes!"_

"That's what I'm talking about!" Misty held up her hand, and Ash clasped it with his own in solidarity. "And hey, we're already off to a great start! Because _I_ wrecked his car and soaked his entire squad when I made my escape!"

Ash gawked at her. "You _did?"_

"Yup!" Misty said, planting her fists on her hips in triumph. "I did! Stupid jerk deserved it!"

"Wow," Ash as he stared up at the strong, beautiful tomboy life had blessed him with. Then, before he knew what he was even saying, he blurted out, "You are so _hot_ right now."

Then he realized what had just come out of his mouth and clapped both hands over his mouth, his face once again turning red.

Across from them, May started laughing so hard that she fell backward off the log, leaving only her legs and feet visible, which then started to kick in hysterics. As for Misty, she blinked in. Then a hint of rose touched her own cheeks and she smiled.

Then she leaned in a planted a kiss on Ash's burning cheek. "You and I are going to get along just fine," she said, lightly grabbing his nose between her finger and thumb and playfully waggling it.

Oh, man. _Oh man!_

Right herself, May yawned cavernously and called, "So, if you two are done flirting, can we go to bed please? Because as cute as this is, I'm about to fall asleep right here and now."

"Yes!" Ash squeaked. "Bed! Right now! Good night!"

…

_Interlude 5_

The journey from Pallet Town to Viridian City took about an hour and a half, if one went by car. Of course, traveling trainers often didn't have cars, so many of them would spent half a day traversing the distance, longer if they weren't in a hurry.

Gary Oak was not your average trainer. Gary Oak had no interest in taking his time. Gary Oak also had a car, and fully expected to be luxuriating in the Viridian Hotel penthouse, preparing to challenge the Gym Leader the same day that he had received his Squirtle from his Gramps.

Unfortunately, circumstances had…changed, and thus Gary was unable to ride into town like the rising star that he was.

Instead, he ended up walking into town, well past midnight. Well, actually "slouching" would be more accurate. Limping. Stumbling miserably along, leading a procession of equally miserable cheerleaders and one silent but still miserable chauffeur.

This had not been how his first day as a trainer had been supposed to go. It had started out good enough. He had gotten first pick of the Starters, got to rub it in to the other rookie trainers that had shown up, got his cheerleader team and his car, got to make fun of that loser Ash on his way out, and came across a cute little girl to add to his collection. All in all, a great start!

But then that stupid girl had turned out to be a Pokemon trainer with a bad attitude, and now Gary was down a car, was sore, was cold, was hungry, and was in a very, very foul mood. Also, he was pretty sure that his right foot was getting corns.

But he would not give up, and would not go back! Gary Oak was no quitter! So what if he had suffered a temporary setback? So what if that stupid car had been wrecked? He never liked the color anyway! He was going to press on, make it to Viridian City, get a _new_ car once he was there, and then things would be back on track!

Or at least that had been his mindset upon setting off. Now he was seriously considering throwing himself into the next body of water he saw and letting himself drown.

But…he was almost there. The city was in sight. He was almost there.

At least the cheerleaders had stopped chanting. It was fine when things were good, but after a while it felt like they were patronizing him. Now they were marching in silence, all of them just as unhappy as he was.

As they approached the city, the electric-type one weakly lifted her pom-poms and said, "Yay, Gary…"

The others shot her withering glares, and she stopped immediately. Gary didn't care.

"There," he said, pointing at the PokeCenter. "I see it. We'll get you all freshened up. And from there we'll…from there we'll…"

He stopped.

The PokeCenter was completely dark, and from the look of things part of the roof had been blown up. The police had set up a barricade all around it, blocking the sidewalk with their cars and yellow tape, while a couple of helicopters hovered overhead.

Gary…stared. The PokeCenter had been closed down. The PokeCenter had almost been blown up. The one thing that any trainer could always count on to provide an island of sanity no matter how bad things got, and the one he had been trying to reach was unreachable.

Behind him, the cheerleaders all halfheartedly started shaking their pom-poms while quietly chanting, _"Cheer up, Gary. You're the man! You can do this, yes you-"_

Gary threw his head back and screamed.

…

As everyone was too tired to set up the tents, the kids opted to simply roll out their sleeping bags and sleep beneath the stars.

Fortunately, though Ash's sleeping bag was preowned by a complete stranger, it still seemed fairly clean, so he snuggled in and zipped it up.

"Okay, good night, girls," he said.

"Night!"

"Sleep tight! Don't let the Durants bite!"

As it so happened, Misty only had one sleeping bag of her own, so she and May were sharing. Ash…wasn't sure if he was more relieved or disappointed. On the one hand, if either of them had decided to share with him, then it would probably get cramped and way too hot, and if the way that they were holding each other was any indication, they would spend the whole night teasing him and keeping him from getting any sleep at all.

On the other hand, even if it was teasing, that kind of attention was…nice.

Well, whatever. He could consider his future with those two in the morning. For now, it had been a very long day, and he was exhausted. Ash laid back and closed his eyes, fully expecting to drop dead asleep in seconds.

Moments later he opened his eyes again and scowled.

He couldn't sleep; he could tell that immediately. Despite him supposedly having been pushed past the point of exhaustion, too much had happened that day, and he was too wound up.

He tried rolling over onto his side…no.

Onto the other side…no.

Okay, it was time to really give this an effort. Ash burrowed into his sleeping bag as far as he could go, closed his eyes, and pictured a wide, grassy field, one split by a white wooden fence. In his imagination, he saw a single Mareep bounding across the field to over the fence.

One.

Another Mareep followed, hopping along to leap the fence as well.

Two.

A third Mareep came hopping along, ready to jump.

_Hey, Ash._

Then the view swooped away from the fence, away from the Mareep flock, to another part of the field, where a blanket had been spread over the grass.

And lying on that blanket was Misty and May.

Misty was lying flat on her stomach, chin resting on her arms, which were folded in front of her. She was only wearing her shorts, the suspenders dropped, leaving her topless, and judging by the flirty smile she was sending Ash, that didn't seem to bother her one bit. She was tilting her head back and forth while her lower legs idly kicked the air.

May was sitting right next to her, as naked as she had been when they had first met. She held a bottle of sunscreen in her hand, and was squirting a gob into her palm. As Ash watched, May leaned over and began to rub the sunscreen into Misty's back, taking the time to dig her fingers into every bit of her, rubbing, prodding, massaging, and squeezing, from her waist to her shoulders.

Then, shooting Ash a wink, May lay flat onto Misty's back and began to push into her, sliding her body up and down Misty's, the tips of her breasts gliding across Misty's glistening skin.

Ash's eyes snapped open. Again.

This wasn't going to work. He had been turned on too many times today, and had yet to find any relief. His penis was once again _painfully_ hard, rising up to lift not only the front of his pants, but also the sleeping bag itself.

Sighing, he shimmied loose from the sleeping bag and slipped his feet into his waiting shoes.

Across the smoldering embers of the campfire, Misty and May were still whispering. And hearing him get up, they paused.

"Hey, where are you going?" May said.

"Gotta pee," Ash muttered. "Be right back."

The girls both snickered. "Well, don't get eaten by a Donaphan!"

"There aren't Donaphan in this forest," Misty said.

"Oh, you know if there was even one, it would find and try to eat Ash."

Ignoring them, Ash retreated from the campground and hurried off until he felt he was deep enough to have some privacy.

He found a large oak tree that was sort of sitting by itself that would serve, and sat down with his back against the trunk. Making himself as comfortable as he could, he glanced around nervously and then began to unbutton his pants.

 _I can't believe I'm about to do this,_ he thought as he gripped the zipper and brought it down. But he had to. He would get no sleep otherwise.

Hooking the waistline of his jeans with his thumb, he pulled them down just past his butt. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he did the same to his boxers.

His erection sprung up immediately: stiff, throbbing, and begging for release.

Ash glared at it in annoyance. This hadn't been the first time he had been kept up by his own hardness. Sometimes, when he would see PokeGirl battles on TV, or even saw them in person when trainers were passing through town, the images of their sexy naked bodies would dance in his head for what felt like forever, keeping him up. Sometimes he would even go so far as to touch his penis, though it always made him feel dirty and ashamed, and even on the rare occasions that he had managed to rub it a couple of times, he had never had the nerve to go further than that. That interrupted session in the PokeCenter's shower had been the furthest he had ever gone.

Well, no more. He was on his own now, and he was going to see to his needs.

Ash curled the fingers of his left hand around the shaft, even that simplest touch sending jolts of electricity shooting through his groin. Then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

In his mind's eye, he saw Misty and May again, this time as they had been a couple hours earlier, when May had started to feel Misty up from behind, one hand on her chest and the other gripping her crotch. Only this time they were allowed to continue.

The hand gripping Misty down below curled around to seize onto her shorts' zipper and slowly pulled it down. May lifted her other hand off of Misty's chest to slide her suspenders off of each shoulder, and she started to plant gentle little kisses on the other girl's neck and shoulder as both hands slid down, slipping beneath the waistband of her shorts and sliding them down her legs.

Ash's hand began to slide up and down, slowly building heat.

Misty turned her head so that her mouth met May's, and the two began to drink one another, their tongues and lips dancing in rhythm. May's right hand glided up Misty's stomach to move beneath the hem of her shirt, lifting it up, until her smooth, undeveloped chest was exposed, the fingers caressing the bright pink nipple.

The other hand slithered down into Misty's panties, making her hips buck. Misty arched her back as May closed her hand over her sex.

Biting down on his lower lip, Ash pumped his cock with more vigor, getting the fire smoldering.

Now Misty had turned toward May and was pressing into her, kissing her deeper than before, the two girls hungrily pressing their mouths into one another's. Misty grabbed onto the zipper of May's shirt and yanked it down, while May pulled Misty's panties down over her ass.

The two PokeGirls went at each other without restraint, practically attacking one another as they tore each other's clothes off. Misty barely had time to lift her arms before May had yanked her yellow tanktop off and tossed it aside. Misty gripped both sides of May's shirt and pulled them apart. Then she seized both her skirt and her bike shorts and jerked them down her hips, letting her press her fingers into May's pussy while May pulled back from Misty's lips so that she could close her mouth over one of Misty's nipples.

The heat and pressure were really building now. Sweat beaded Ash's forehead and collected around his bare butt as he continued to work the shaft, moving his hand harder and harder.

Now the fantasy had changed. Now the girls were no longer making out with one another, but instead were crawling toward _him_ on all fours, and he was no longer masturbating furiously against a tree in the forest, but was reclining on a bed with red sheets and soft pillows, cock still sticking into the air.

 _Let us handle that for you,_ the two PokeGirls said as they snuggled up to Ash, each laying a hand on his manhood. _After all, it's our responsibility. We belong to you._

"Eurgh!"

The heat that had been building in Ash's loins suddenly exploded, shooting up his cock like a cannon. It felt like a firecracker went off inside his gut, and his hips bucked as agonizing pleasure poured out of him in a geyser.

And Ash was helpless to do anything to stop it. He groaned as his muscles all seized up and he collapsed as surging throes wracked his body, caught in the throes of his very first orgasm.

Finally it receded. The fire had been satisfied, and slowly everything cooled. Ash could feel his penis softening in his hand.

He had done it.

Panting heavily, slick with sweat, and now having to go to the bathroom for real, Ash opened his eyes, wondering what kind of mess he was going to have to clean up.

There was none. His penis and the area around it, while not exactly _dry,_ didn't seem to have expelled anything.

Ash blinked. Wait, wasn't something supposed to have come out? Wasn't there supposed to be something white and sticky? There always was in those videos Gary had insisted that he watch! And it certainly felt like there had been.

Was there something wrong with him? Was he broken? And if so, what was he going to tell the girls when they found out?

 _How are they going to find out, stupid?_ whispered one part of his mind.

 _How do you think, genius?_ replied another. _Have you seen what they're like?_

As Ash sat there with his pants and underwear still pushed down his legs, caught up in both the afterglow and his worry about his physical prowess, he was suddenly struck by the feeling of being watched.

He bolted up, and hastily yanked his pants back up. "Um, hello?" he said. "Is someone there?"

Now that he was no longer furiously trying to relieve an entire day's worth of pent-up frustration, he noticed just how creepy his surroundings were. The shadows of the forest had seemed to deepen around him, shrouding entire swaths in darkness.

Swallowing, he nervously looked around. Nothing jumped out at him. He listened intently. The only sound was the gentle breeze and the gentle call of a Hoothoot.

 _I'm just getting jumpy,_ he thought. Sighing, he slid his pants off again and saw to the _other_ release that he needed, sending a long stream of urine against the tree.

It took a long time to finally empty his bladder, but once he was done he felt so much better. He pulled his pants back up and buckled his belt.

Then he heard the sound of leaves crunching.

Ash whirled around. There was something out there, something watching him! But what? And where?

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Something was moving through the grass, slithering into a nearby bush, something long and sinuous.

The Ekans! No, wait, it wasn't an Ekans. The color was wrong, and it was much too thick.

Then the bush started shaking.

His curiously now fully gone, Ash turned and ran back to camp.

Fortunately nothing leapt out at him on the way back, and even the girls seemed to have fallen asleep. Still shaking, Ash kicked his shoes off and climbed back into his sleeping bag. He now greatly regretted not taking the time to set the tent up.

He closed his eyes, and was relieved to find his mind already starting to slip, even with the fright still fresh. Hopefully nothing would try to eat him as he slept.

Ash rolled over, but as he did, something in his jacket pocket poked him. Frowning, he stuck his hand in and fished around until his fingers closed around something small and metal. That was odd. He thought he had given Misty all of her Pokemon back.

Drawing it out, he found himself holding the human ball containing the purple-haired Rocket Grunt.

Ash blinked. Oh yeah, he still had to take care of that. The plan had been to drop the human ball off with the police, but that had ended up not happening.

And now he still had her.

Shivering, Ash slipped the human ball back into his pocket and buttoned it up. Hopefully he would find the opportunity to relieve himself of her, because just carrying her around with him just felt ghastly.

But that had to wait for tomorrow. Finally sleep was creeping up on him.

It had been, he reflected as he slowly drifted off, an exceptionally weird day.

…

_Interlude 6_

Jessie…wasn't doing or thinking much at all.

Because she was still inside of her human ball.

So she couldn't do anything even if she tried.

…

_A few minutes prior…_

"Oh, you know if there was even one, it would find and try to eat Ash," May said.

Misty snickered. Yeah, that would hold with the sort of day Ash was having.

Holding each other within the sleeping bag, the two girls listened as Ash left the campsite and plunged into the forest. When they were sure that he was fully out of earshot, May said, "You know he's just going to jerk off."

"Well, obviously! Honestly, he deserves credit for holding it in for so long."

Giggling, May snuggled into Misty's shoulder. "Do you think we overdid it?"

" _You_ did, definitely. And, oh, by the way? You still owe me."

"Right, right." May slid her hand down between their bodies and slipped it down Misty's shorts.

Misty let out a soft sigh as May's fingers went to work. "Oh, that's good."

"Of course it is. It's me!" May kissed Misty on the cheek.

The two lay cuddled together in Misty's sleeping bag for a time, staring up at the stars, while May continued to service her trainer. Misty always liked sleeping outdoors with May, especially in cooler weather. Ever since she had become a fire-typed PokeGirl, her body was just so warm to the touch. It was like wrapping herself in an electric blanket, one that had tits.

"So," May said after some time had passed. "Ash. What do you think of him?"

Misty frowned in slight annoyance of having to hold a conversation while being fingered. "Hmmm? Oh, I like him. Not…sure how he's going to cut it as a trainer though. He just gets so nervous and flustered."

"Well, to be fair, most people do after spending about five minutes with us."

"I guess you have a point. Well, come to think of it, you actually have known him longer than me. What do _you_ think of him?"

"Oh, he's cool! I mean, sure, he gets all red in the face and starts tripping over his words and apologizing a lot when we tease him, but he actually kicked all kinds of butt back at the PokeCenter!"

"So I've heard! Took down a Houndour on his own, apparently?"

"Uh-huh! And he just jumped in and got control of the situation when that Ekans was squeezing me!"

"I bet you liked that," Misty said dryly.

"Oh, you betcha," May said, using her ring and pointer finger to massage Misty's pussy lips while sliding in her middle finger.

"Mmmm." Misty moaned in approval. "Okay. Keep doing that. So you think he has potential."

"Lots of it! The guy's got talent, and he seems like such a sweetheart. Plus, he'll get used to us being, well, us eventually. So yeah, I think he'll work out fine."

"Hmmm." Misty looked up at the sky. "You're planning on screwing his brains out, aren't you?"

May, who had been nuzzling against Misty's neck, snorted in sudden laughter, accidentally blowing a big fat raspberry against Misty's skin. "Me? I thought that was your goal!"

"May, I may be a pervert, but you're a full-on nymphomaniac."

"Oh, you can't lie to me! You've been making moon-eyes at that boy all night!"

"In fun! Because we were teasing him!"

May pulled her free hand out of the sleeping bag to jab it into Misty's cheek. "Come on. Just admit that you like him."

Misty huffed. "I've only known him for a couple hours! You're the one that got to see how brave and valiant he is!"

"Fine," May said with an exaggerated sigh. "I'll be the one to screw his brains out. One of us has to."

Misty frowned. "Have you ever, um, you know, done it with a guy?"

That just made her friend laugh. "Who would I even do it with? I was homeschooled, and dad never let any boy come near me! Besides, even the cute ones were too busy collecting RoboMech cards or eating mud to care about girls. What about you?"

"No," Misty admitted.

"Really?" Grinning, May pressed her face against Misty's. "Not even any of the ones who came to your gym?"

"No," Misty said with a scowl.

"I mean, I know the grown-up ones wouldn't be allowed to, but you've got to have had a few kid trainers around our age looking to get totally humiliated. So there's been no wide-eyed cutie who got curbstomped and didn't have enough money to pay the forfeit so you decided that he was going to pay using his-"

Groaning, Misty shoved May away, at least as much as the sleeping bag would allow. "No, May!"

"I'm your first? Seriously?"

"Yes! Seriously! And stop rubbing me. You've killed the mood."

"Oh!" May pulled her hand out of Misty's shorts. "Sorry."

By then Misty was too worked up with annoyance to be bothered by the fact that he had yet to cum. "All the trainers that come to my gym are always so…stupid!" she complained. "They're just so full of themselves, so cocky and braggy, it's infuriating! They never take me seriously because I'm a kid, even when I win! And then you get the ones who are all like, 'Hey, little girl! You can pop your Cloyster into my pokeball any day!'"

"Wow, that is so very lame."

Misty nodded. "And then my sisters go and sleep with them anyway, right after they disrespected me! And it's always the ones who disrespect me! And when I say something, they just laugh and pat me on the head and say that someday I'll understand. It's my gym! If I wanted to, I could kick their stupid swimming show out, and there'd be nothing they could do about it!"

May slipped her hands around Misty's bare midriff and rested her chin on her shoulder. "Why don't you, then?"

"Because…" Misty sighed. Oh, how many times had she asked herself that question? "Because someone has to be the nice one, that's why!"

"Also people pay lots of money to see the show and you still have bills to pay."

"Oh, will you drop it already?" Misty said.

"Is that why you don't want him knowing that you're a Gym Leader? Because you might end up introducing him to your-"

"Leave it, May!"

The two fell silent, and Misty found herself regretting her outburst. After all, it wasn't like May was _wrong,_ but Misty just didn't feel like talking about it yet.

"So…" May said after the silence had gone on long enough. "You covered a lot of ground just now."

Misty sighed. "Sorry. It's…ugh. People are so gross."

"Then why do you hang out with me?"

"Because you're not gross. You're just completely bugnuts insane. I mean, what twelve-year-old girl _wants_ to be a PokeGirl?"

"What twelve-year-old girl can _blow stuff up with her mind?"_ May retorted. _"_ Me! That's who! Me!"

Chuckling, Misty shifted around so that they were facing one another. "Yeah, but I like that about you." She said, gently touching May's cheek.

May smiled and cupped Misty's hand with her town. "Why, thank you." She held onto her shirt's zipper and slowly brought it down. "I present you with my tits. Use them well."

 _Well, don't mind if I do._ Misty slipped her hand inside of May's shirt to cup May's breast. "You're too kind," she said, rolling the nipple around between her fingers.

"Mmmm," May hummed in approval. She sighed. "So. Getting back to Ash…"

Misty shrugged. "Well, he's just so…"

"Horny."

Misty gave her a look. "May…"

"But in a really cute way!"

Misty shook her head. "Well, I was going to say earnest. And awkward. He wears his heart on his sleeve."

"Which is now really torn up," May pointed out.

Ugh. That. "I never want to see another Spearow as long as I live," Misty said with a shiver. She thought for a moment, and then put her other hand inside May's shirt. Playing with her boobs always made her feel better. It was like squeezing a stress ball, in a way. "But anyway, he almost got both of us killed because he was being an idiot, but he also got all the Spearows to chase him so that they wouldn't hurt me. And then he ran all the way to Viridian City to save my life. And when he let me out of the human ball, he the first thing he did was apologize and offer to release me."

"Which is stupid," May said, draping her arms around Misty and resting them on her butt. "I mean, who would let a babe like you go?"

Misty laughed. "But he meant it! He really didn't want anything bad to happen to me."

"He's a good guy," May agreed. "Just…totally clueless about a lot of things. But man, does that boy want to be a Pokemon master."

That he did. "You really think he has what it takes?"

"Oh, you should've seen him back there!" May enthusiastically gibed. "He was great! For a rookie, anyway!"

Misty cocked an eyebrow. "He was lobbing human balls at Spearows thinking he was throwing pokeballs at Pidgeys."

"So he had a rough start. He's got you to teach him now, doesn't he?"

"I guess so," Misty admitted, both of her hands now pressing into May's boobs and gently kneading them, feeling the nipples poke against her palms. She grinned. "This actually could be a lot of fun."

"And yes, I am going to screw him," May declared.

Misty paused, and then withdrew her hands with a sigh. "No, you're not."

"I will. I'm a-poppin' that Cherubi."

"No!" Misty bumped her shoulder into May's. "Leave him alone!"

"I'm gonna bang that boy like a Bronzor," May said, her sultry grin not wavering. "I'm gonna to conscript the smartest Alakazams and have them design me the perfect machine to be assembled by an army of Machamps that I will use to tap. That. Ass! I'm going to plant my flag between those sweet cheeks and claim him for Maytopia. I'm gonna rock him like a Geodude using Rollout. I'm gonna-"

"All right, stop!" Misty clapped her palm over May's mouth. "Why you want to have sex with him so badly?"

May moved Misty's hand out of the way. "Because he's adorable! Besides, if you won't, then someone has to! And you're _his_ PokeGirl!"

"Fine!" Misty turned back around and folded her arms. "I'll sleep with him!"

"Good."

After a moment Misty amended, "Eventually."

"You have one month."

"What?" Misty stiffened, and then turned around again to stare at May in disbelief. "Are you-"

"Shhh." May pressed a finger against Misty's lips, silencing her. "One. Month. By then we'll be well into Mt. Moon, so that gives you plenty of time."

"Just one month?" Misty said, her tone pleading.

May shrugged. "Well, if you want to go find him right now, be my guest!"

"One month." Oh, this was going to be weird. "Fine."

Then May's grin returned. "Can I have a shot after you're done?"

Sighing, Misty turned away from her. "Yes, May. _After_ I'm done."

There was a long pause, and then May started to chant in a whisper, "Threesome. Threesome. Threesome."

Misty sighed again.

Chuckling, May snuggled up against her, spooning her body against Misty's back. "Can I finish fingering you now?"

Well, might as well. The thought of having to seduce Ash and take his virginity within a month had gotten Misty worked up, and she needed a release. "Yes, please," she muttered.

May's hand slid back down her stomach and into her panties.

This time she didn't waste time teasing or taking it slow. She went right in, slipping her middle finger right in while her other fingers went to work on the outside of Misty's pussy. Sighing, Misty closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy the experience.

"You know your first time with Ash is going to be real disappointing," May said as she drew that elusive orgasm nearer and nearer. "Since all you have is me to compare him to-"

Misty let out a soft groan as the familiar warmth finally reached a crescendo, lifting her up on a wave of pleasure before bringing her crashing down to dissolve into foam.

Unfortunately, she wasn't given any time to bask in the afterglow, as May immediately yanked her head away and yelped in pain.

"May?" Frowning, Misty turned around. "What's…uh…"

May was blinking in surprise. Also, her hair was now ridiculous, poofed up around her head like a Pyroar's mane.

Misty stared. She knew she ought to ask questions but for the life of her couldn't think of where to start.

"Your…Your _hair…"_ she said at last.

May blinked again. Then she lifted a hand to touch her head. Confirming the poof, she hastily combed it out with her fingers.

"Your pussy _shocked_ me!" she said.

"What? No, it didn't!"

"Yes, it did! Right when you came! It was like licking a car battery!"

"Well, it couldn't have been me! My pussy is not electric powered, thank you very much!"

May scowled. "I know what I felt, Misty. That was you."

"Uh, no. Because that's impossible. Because I can't shock people. Because."

"Huh." May quirked an eyebrow. "Misty, are you sure-"

Misty turned away from her. "Goodnight, May."

"But-"

"Good! _Night!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Right, I have a few things to go through, so let's get started!
> 
> First, sorry this one took so much longer than the others. But in my defense, it is almost as long as the rest of them put together.
> 
> Second, about the darkfic thing…yeah, okay, it's going to get a little darkfic sometimes. It's just what I'm used to doing. But that doesn't mean it's all going to be grimdark all the way through. Most of it will be lighthearted and smutty, other times it'll get more violent, sometimes all at the same time. But hey, the Pokemon universe is pretty messed up once you've removed the age rating, which this story does. Though, hey anon. If you're going to call me a liar, at least spell it right!
> 
> Third…okay, first confession. I never actually saw the show past Kanto, and even then I didn't see every episode. So while I know who everyone is and what they got going on, I'm going to be winging it a lot with the personalities, even beyond the necessary tweaks to allow for the gimmick. Also, I'll probably stick a lot to the games for plot points as well.


	7. Ash (Finally) Catches a Pokemon!

Despite being a raging, out-of-control disaster, Ash at least had ended his first day on his Pokemon adventure with a really good sleep.

No dreams had troubled his rest. No monsters and no bad guys had shown up to disturb him. He had slept deep and long through the night, his sore and exhausted body enjoying several hours of uninterrupted peace.

It was perhaps the best sleep he had ever had, and as such, when he finally began to rouse the next morning, he found himself very reluctant to do so.

He was just so _comfortable._ The simple sleeping bag at once felt more soft and more warm than the finest featherbed topped with layers of satin blankets and pillows of silk. It wrapped him up in its comforting embrace, keeping him safe from the troubles of the world, and he saw no reason to leave its sanctuary.

 _But today's the day!_ said a small yet insistent part of his mind. _Today you catch your first Pokemon!_

 _Yeah, that's great,_ came the sleepy reply. _But that can wait. I like it here._

… _mmm, okay. Fine. This_ is _nice._

Sighing contently, Ash moved his shoulders to snuggle deeper into the sleeping bag and let himself continue to drift long the peaceful river that separate sleep from wakefulness, happy to hover between the two states, lulled along by the gentle breeze and the warm embrace wrapped around him.

_There's a hand on my stomach._

Ash's eyes slowly opened. The sudden glare of the morning sun made him wince, so he blinked and squinted until his eyes adjusted. Then he glanced around.

He was still wrapped up in his sleeping bag, snuggled up on his side and facing the spent ash of the campfire. The girls' sleeping bag was gone, as were they, presumably having started their morning earlier than he. The sun was fully in the sky but still not near its zenith, so there still was a lot of morning left.

And there was definitely a hand on his stomach, a hand that had reached up under his shirt to lay itself on his bellybutton, one attached to the arm draped over his waist.

Ash blinked again. Now that the haze of sleep was leaving, he slowly came to realize that he was not alone in the sleeping bag. There was someone cuddled up against his back, leaving things quite cramped. He could feel their slow, easy breathing against the back of his neck, their hair brushing against his own.

Also, they were _warm._ Not in the way that sharing a small sleeping bag with anyone would make things warm, but much more warm than anyone would be.

Huh.

Careful to not move too suddenly, Ash shifted his arm around to touch the hand that was still under his shirt. It was small and slender, as was the arm attached to it.

The _bare_ arm.

Gulping, Ash moved his hand along the arm to the body that it belonged to, the body that was spooned up against his.

He brushed his fingers along the soft skin of their waist, and down to the curve of their hip, and found no clothes to interrupt his progress. Wincing, he brought his hand back and found himself staring at the horizon, wondering how he had ended up in this position. He no longer wondered _who_ though; that much was obvious. He was mostly concerned with how, and what their intentions were from here.

Then he heard a soft giggle near his neck. "Good _morning,_ Ash," May murmured.

"Uh, good morning!" he said. "I, uh, I didn't expect…"

He felt movement. May's other hand was snaking beneath him, coming in below his waist and slipping up beneath the hem of his shirt to clasp the hand that was already there.

"…er, May?"

"Hmmm?"

"What are, uh, what are you doing?"

May giggled again. "Um, _duh."_

Ash was already starting to sweat from the extra heat that came from being crammed into a small sleeping bag with a naked fire-type PokeGirl, but now he had added reason as one of May's hands started to slide up his belly toward his chest.

"Uh…uh…uh…how'd. How'd you even get, uh, in, uh, in here?"

May's hand moved back and forth over his pec, caressing it, her finger dancing playfully over his nipple. "Oh, it wasn't hard. You were so completely out of it that all I had to do was slip right in."

"Oh, uh, really?" Ash laughed nervously.

"Mmmm-hmmm. It was nice, you know? And I like having someone else in bed with me. To share warmth with."

"Um, okay." Ash swallowed loudly. Wow, his throat was suddenly very dry! "Well, you certainly, uh, have a lot of, you know, _warmth_ to share. Uh, where's Misty?"

"Already up. She's an early riser, and I'm not. And you looked so comfortable that I figured you wouldn't mind sharing. Of course, your sleeping bag is a little smaller than hers, so I had to, ah, throw some things off in order to fit."

"Oh, did'ja? Hehehe. Um…" Then Ash stiffened. While one of May's hands continued to massage his chest, the other had started to move as well.

To move _down,_ to be exact.

"Uh, wait a minute!" he said in alarm. "I don't know-"

May laughed. "Relax. Misty's already called dibs. I'm just checking to see if the _rest_ of you is awake too."

"Oh. Uh, that's good, I guess, and-Wait, what you mean she's called dibs?"

May just laughed again but didn't answer. And true to her word, her hand did not slide into his jeans, but instead glided over their surface.

That didn't stop her from rubbing though. And _oh,_ it felt good!

"Ah, there he is," she said when she felt the expected bump rise up. "Thought he'd be up before you were. You must've had one heck of a JO session last night."

"Uh, JO what?" Ash said as he anxiously rubbed his thighs together. Then he got it, even if the specific definition eluded him. He sank down lower, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. "Oh, uh, you…knew about that, huh?"

"Duh."

Suddenly May tossed the top of the sleeping bag aside. Apparently she had unzipped it to get in and hadn't bothered zipping it back up, making more like a fold-over blanket.

Despite the two of them seemingly being alone, Ash still squeaked in surprise at the sudden exposure and instinctively covered his crotch, but then May sat up, grabbed him by the edge of his shirt, and yanked him onto his back.

And then she rolled over on top of him.

Ash momentarily forgot how to breathe. He was now staring directly at a pair of lovely blue eyes, mere centimeters away from his face. May was lying right over him, smiling mischievously, the weight of her warm body covering him like a blanket.

"You know, we weren't just teasing you earlier," she said as she crossed her arms over Ash's collarbone and rested her chin on them. "I mean, we definitely were teasing you, but I wasn't lying when I said that you are _super_ cute!"

"Oh, uh, am I?" Ash was fully aware of how dumb he sounded, but it was really hard to concentrate on any sort of conversation, even one as complimentary as this, mainly because of how May's small boobs were squishing into his chest. He could feel the hard little nubs of her nipples poking at him through his shirt.

"Yup! Misty is a lucky one." Still grinning salaciously, May reached up with one hand to tap Ash lightly on the nose. "I mean, so am I, but there's a lot of luck to go around."

"…thanks? Um, well, you're pretty cute, too!"

"Aw, thank you! Glad to see both of you are in agreement!"

"Both of me? What does…oh."

His penis was now fully erect and throbbing, pushing up through the opening of his boxers to rub the tip against the inside of his jeans. It was almost like it was a living being, one desperate to escape and frustrated that it couldn't.

Not helping matters was that May had laid her hips directly on top of Ash's, and her childish mound was lying directly on top of Ash's erection. Only a couple of centimeters of denim and a metal zipper separated her sex from his, and all either one of them had to do was reach over to slide that zipper down, and he would slide right into her.

Almost as if she knew what he was thinking, May glanced back, smirked, and then shook her head. "Sorry, champ. Not today. Rules are rules, after all!"

"Rules? What rules?"

"You'll find out. But until then, I can at least give you a, heh, little preview."

Still lying across him, May started to move her hips, slowly sliding them up and down over the slope of Ash's hardness. A low, throaty groan rumbled out of his chest, and he closed his eyes as that sweet sensation swept through him.

"Hey, don't make me do all the work here," May said. "You can participate a little."

"What?" Ash's eyes snapped open. "What do you-"

May suddenly reached out to both sides and seized Ash's hands by the wrists. Paralyzed by sudden realization, Ash let her draw his arms down to his hips.

Maintaining eye contact, May led Ash's hands up over her own hips and placed them over the curve of her butt. "Now, just hold on there," she said, pressing his palms into a firm cheek each. "And let's get started."

She again slid her hips up and down, grinding her pussy into his bulge. Then she paused for a second, and started swaying her butt back and forth, making sure to get maximum coverage.

Ash could hardly believe that this was happening. Just yesterday morning the only thing that had been on his mind had been making it in time to get his Pokemon starter, and that had led to a whole lot of pain and misery. But now a beautiful naked girl was literally throwing herself on top of him. Was this the result of all the good karma he had built up by everything he had done to save Misty? If so, he had to get more wild Pokemon to chase him!

"Mmmmm," she hummed in pleasure as her hips rotated around and around in a slow circle. "Okay. Okay. Let's…take this up a notch."

Now May was using her legs to separate his. Pushing herself up on her elbows, she scooted back a little bit before again sliding back and forth. Only now she was putting her whole body into it, aggressively pushing forward and back with her forearms, thrusting her groin into his.

Biting his lip to keep from moaning too loudly, Ash closed his eyes in ecstasy. This was probably the greatest thing he had ever felt. If he had known that having a PokeGirl would be this great, he would looked forward to it with greater anticipation!

Also, didn't May say something about Misty having first dibs? Did that mean…

Oh _man!_

But then, just as things were really reaching a crescendo and his second orgasm was starting to build up, May just…stopped. His eyes still closed, Ash lay still and waited for whatever she was going to do next.

But instead of continuing, May just climbed up on top of him, sitting back on his hips.

Still grasping her butt, Ash opened his eyes, and what he saw made him inhale sharply. May was sitting back on his lap, eyes half-lidded and sensual smile partially open, letting her tiny pink tongue slide out over her lips. And below, her deliciously naked torso was on full display for him. His gaze traveled down from her eyes to her slender shoulders, lingered a bit on the soft mounds and pink tips of her breasts, and then down the glistening muscles of her abdomen, to where her soft pink lips and cute little slit were resting right below his navel.

Though the friction had stopped, Ash almost came right then and there.

"Well, that was fun," May said. She reached back and gave Ash's twitching bulge an affectionate pat. "But let's not push it too far the first time."

And then she slid his hands off of her buttocks and stood up to walk away.

Ash lay still, fingers still cupped at where her butt had been, eyes bulging out in shock as he stared after her. "W-Wait," he said. "That was it? Why'd you stop?"

"Hmmm? Oh, I just wanted to give you a nice little pick-me-up," May said as she picked up her bike shorts and stepped into the legs. She slid up over her hips and adjusted the waistband. "Like I said: Misty's already got first dibs, so I don't want to go too far before she's had the chance."

She stepped into the hoop of her skirt and pulled it up as well. Then she shook out her shirt and slipped her arms into the sleeve-holes.

"First dibs?" Ash scampered up to his feet. "Wait, what does that mean?"

"What do you _think,_ genius?" May snorted as she zipped her shirt up. "She's your PokeGirl! You caught her, and she chose to stay with you? You do know what that means, right?"

Ash slowly breathed out. "So, uh, that's really going to happen?" he said, scratching the back of his neck.

"Well, let me put it this way: if Misty ever suddenly has a very urgent need to talk to you alone, then drop whatever you're doing and go with her. Heck, let me know! I'll keep watch so nobody interrupts!"

Ash sat down very suddenly on one of the logs that ringed the campsite. "Are you guys, uh, going to be like this the whole time we're together?" he said.

May shrugged and sat down on one of the other logs. "Ask me to stop and I'll stop."

"No!" he said hastily. When that got her grinning, he quickly amended, "Um, I mean, it's just, um, I'm not really used to…to all this."

"If you were, then I'd really be worried," May said. "I mean, I know I'm a freak, and I got Misty in touch with her inner freak, but if every kid setting off to be League Champion was as much of a freak as we are, then I'd say something went really wrong."

"Eh, hehehe," Ash said, laughing nervously. Well, at least May was honest about it. "Hey, where is Misty, anyway?"

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" May said, looking up at the sky while tapping her lower lip in thought. "I guess I didn't! She went to Viridian City."

Ash leapt right to her feet. "Wait, she did _what?"_

May looked surprised by his reaction. "Whoa, calm down there, lover-boy!"

Ash in fact did not calm down. Calmness had become quite an alien state to him as of late, and news of this new problem was doing nothing to change that. "She went back to _Viridian City?_ Already? But what if Team Rocket is still there? We don't know what happened to Nurse Joy! What if whatever happened to her happens to Misty? What if-"

"Easy, easy," May said. She came over and grabbed Ash by the shoulders. "Ash? Look at me. Look at me, okay?"

Ash did, locking eyes with her for the second time that morning, albeit under much less sensual circumstances. Still, it did help take the edge off his panic, though not by much.

"Misty will be okay," May said. "She's probably the smartest person I know, and she knows how to take care of herself."

Ash believed her, but still couldn't shake his worry. "She got hit by lightning yesterday!"

"And that was like a gazillion-to-one freak accident! Besides, she knows that there's probably danger, so she's going to be super-careful, and she has her own crew of Pokemon with her, and she knows how to use them! Trust me, I've known her a lot longer than you have, and I say that she'll be _fine."_

"Well, if you say so," Ash said, though he still didn't all that relieved. If anything bad happened to Misty, then he would never forgive himself.

"Cheer up, champ!" May said, sitting down next to him and laying an arm across his shoulder. "If I didn't think she was safe, do you really think I would spend so much time messing with you this morning? No! I'd be there, watching her back, ready to deep-fry the first thing that looked at her wrong."

"I guess you have a point," Ash admitted. "I just, you know, can't help but worry. She's already been through so much because of me."

"Wow, you really are a total sweetheart, aren't you?" May then drew him in and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Misty really is lucky."

His face flushing pink, Ash turned away and laid a hand on the spot she had kissed him. He couldn't help but smile a little though. "You really think so?"

"Sure! I mean, she's had to deal with so many jerks that her first impulse is to just assume any new guy is a jerk, so anyone she actually likes enough to tease has to be something special."

"Um, thanks! She, uh, really is that experienced, is she? I mean as a trainer."

May laughed. "Oh, you have _no_ idea! Honestly, she should've caught _you!"_ Then she frowned, and scratched her head. "Hey, you ever wonder why Poke _Boys_ aren't a thing? I mean, I've never really thought about it before, but you'd think that, with how many girls you have as trainers, at least some would want a few boytoys of their own."

Ash shrugged. Truthfully, like her he had never really thought about it before.

"Well, whatever. Don't sweat it. Misty'll be back before you know it. _Hopefully_ with more food. We still have a little left for breakfast, but it ain't much." She held up a couple ramen cups.

Ash agreed. Now that his excitement by being woken up by a naked May and then subsequently panicked by Misty going off on her own had subsided, he realized that said bowl of chili had really been the only thing he had eaten yesterday. He had rushed out of the house too quickly for breakfast when he realized that he had overslept, hadn't stopped for anything his entire run all the way to Viridian City, and only had time for a cup of tea with Nurse Joy before Team Rocket attacked. And now, after all that excitement with very little sustenance, he was _famished._

"Yeah, I didn't think being a Pokemon trainer would be such hungry work," he said as he rubbed his own stomach.

"Oh, it is, it definitely is. That's like the one good thing about human balls. You get to skip all that endless _walking."_

"What's it like in there, anyway?" Ash said curiously.

"Nothing! It's basically like going to sleep." Then she frowned. "Well, mostly. I keep having these weird flashes of…something whenever I get brought out. Like dreams, you know? And getting put in the Healing Machine is super weird. Like, you're not really awake, but you're not really asleep either, but there's not enough of you to really notice that anything's weird, but just enough to notice that maybe you should be noticing that something's weird. Does that make any sense?"

"No," Ash admitted.

"Yeah, not to me either. Well, it doesn't suck, so there's that." May then leaned back looked up at the sky, her legs stretched out in front of her. "Anyway, I'll boil some water. I mean, better than nothing is still better than nothing."

"Okay. I'll be right back then."

At this, May's sly smile returned. "Oh yeah? And where are you off to then? Gotta work off a little _frustration_ before you start your day?"

Ash shifted his weight in discomfort. "Er, uh, actually, I just really need to pee."

"Oh, right. Well, don't be long. Oh, and…"

She pulled something out of Misty's pack and tossed it to him. Startled, he almost dropped it. "What's this?" he said. In his hands was a ziplocked bag, in which were a couple of grey packages and…a small shovel?

"Toilet kit! Toilet paper, sanitizer wipes, and shovel."

"But-"

"You had chili for dinner, Ash. You're gonna need that."

Making a face, Ash opened the bag and took out the shovel. "What's this for?"

"What do you _think?_ Dig a hole, do you business, cover it up!"

Ash blinked.

"Oh, and the toilet paper and wipes are biodegradable, so just throw them in there with your doody."

"Uh…"

May threw her hands into the air. "For Arceus's sake, did you think there would be public restrooms out in the wild? This is part of being a trainer! Now hurry up!"

Ash might have argued further, but upon brief reflection, he realized that he had no legitimate arguments. Furthermore, May was actually right. He did need to go, and go _bad._

Hurrying away from the campsite, he looked around until he found a relatively secluded area in which the ground was mostly dry and free from foliage.

 _This is,_ he thought as he hastily dug, _so very weird, and so very gross._

But then, May did have a very good point. It was a part of the Pokemon trainer experience. He had signed up for this.

Moments later he had finished up and was wiping his hands with the sanitizer wipes. Sighing, he crumpled them up into a ball and tossed them into the hole with the rest of the waste. Then he used the edge of his shoe to push dirt back into the hole.

"Okay," he muttered under his breath as he worked. "That was…new. Guess I just got to get used to-"

And then he heard the sound of leaves rustling.

Ash froze. It was the same sound from last night, back when he had to, well, take care of a different kind of business entirely.

He scanned his surroundings. Now that it was day, the woods were much less creepy, and the shadows barely concealed anything at all. Still, he once again had the distinct feeling that something was watching him, something nearby.

"Hello?" he said apprehensively.

No answer.

Shaken, he hastily snatched up the remains of the toilet kit and return to camp.

There, May had gotten the fire going again, and was holding a steel kettle to the flames as she hummed to herself. Or, to be more specific, _into_ the flames.

"Uh, doesn't that hurt?" Ash said.

Pausing her song, May shot him quite the look.

"Uh, yeah, I realized it was stupid as soon as I said it," Ash sighed.

"Being fireproof has its perks! Anyway, this is just about done."

The two took a ramen cup each and pulled off the paper lids, and May poured the steaming water into each. From there she provided Ash with a metal fork with a plastic handle and got one for herself. And from there they dug in.

Even with the water being boiling hot, it did not take long to drain the cup, and it took May even less.

"Hopfe Missy comfe backs wit' shum _weal_ food," May mumbled as she slurped up noodles.

Ash agreed, but as hungry as he was, even something so humble as a ramen cup tasted heavenly, though it was not at all adequate, and was finished all too soon.

"Ah, still tasty though," May said, wiping her mouth. She let out a small, dainty burp, and opened the plastic bag they were using for their trash.

Once everything had been cleared up, May reached her arms back behind her head and stretched.

"Oh, that feels good. Anyway, we still have a while before Misty gets back. What'cha wanna do?"

"Me?" Ash was taken back by the question. Since Misty and May were clearly so much more experienced with the whole Pokemon training thing, on both sides, he had expected them to be setting most of the schedule. "Well, uh, I'm not sure."

"Yeah, me neither. Huh." Then May looked at him out of the corner of her eye and grinned.

Ash was coming to know that grin. "Er, what?"

"You know, if I really did get you worked up earlier and you need to blow off some steam, you can."

Ash swallowed. Oh boy, here they went again. "Wh-What do you mean?"

"I mean jack off! Rub one out! Squeeze the one-eyed Ekans! Wring out the Miltank! Choke the Combustken! _Mas! Tur! Bate!"_

Ash actually had figured out what she meant before she had gone through all of her euphemisms, but it was still extremely weird. Despite the existence of PokeGirls meaning that people had a generally cavilear attitude toward nudity and sexuality, he had still sort of felt that masturbation was, well, kind of dirty, something to be done in secret and spoken of out loud. He had certainly never expected a pretty girl to casually suggest it to him.

But then again, it was _May._

"Y-You mean go back into the forest and-"

May snorted. "Oh please. I think we're way past being weird about that. I mean do it here!"

Ash's jaw dropped. "Right here?" he squeaked. "Right now? In fr-front of you?"

"Why not? You've already seen me naked and played with my butt. Heck, I'll even join you!"

At this, all ability to form coherent thought shut down, and Ash could do nothing but sit still and stare.

Clearly enjoying herself, May stood up and pointed down at him. "How about this? You sit there, drop your pants, and get to work milking your boy. And as for me…" She swung her finger over to the log on the opposite end of the campsite, past the remains of the campfire. "I'll sit over there, drop my shorts, and we jack off to each other? That way, we still get to cum, and I keep my promise of not spoiling you!"

"Sp-Sp-Sp-" Ash stuttered, and then violently shook his head. "Uh, no! No thank you! No thank you!"

"Not ready for that yet?"

"No," Ash said, relieved that she understood. "I'm s-sorry, I'm just. _Not."_

"Hey, don't worry about it! We only just met, after all. No need to rush _that_ much." Then May frowned, one hand on her hip while the other rubbed her chin. "That still leaves us with the problem of what to do until Misty gets back." Then her eyes widened, and she snapped her fingers. "I got it! Let's go get you a Pokemon!"

Ash leapt to his feet in excitement. All right, this sort of activity he could get behind. "You mean it?"

"Of course I do! And there's bound to be plenty around here. That way, we'll have one all ready for Misty to show you the ropes!"

Finally! Ash quickly made sure that he had all of the pokeballs that Nurse Joy had given him at the ready. As for the human balls given to him by Alexander, he had slipped those into a pocket on his backpack, so they wouldn't get in the way again. "All right! Let's-" Then he frowned. Something had just occurred to him. "Wait, the reason kids get starters is that you need to weaken a Pokemon before you catch it. I mean, I guess we can try for a Pidgey, but that didn't turn out so well last time."

May just laughed at that. "Ash, you don't _need_ a starter to help you catch anything!" Striking a pose, she stuck up one hand, index finger and thumb extended like a gunslinger's pistol, and shot him a wink. A little puff of flame shot out of her finger's tip.

"Really?" Ash said, his eyes beaming. "You'd do that?"

"Oh, heck yeah! I've fought plenty of wild Pokemon! It actually almost got me caught once, what with all those singed unconscious Pokemon that kept popping up in the same place. But yes, I will be more than happy to beat the snot out of your first Pokemon!"

"Oh, uh…" Well, when she put it like that, it made her sound…kind of deranged, actually.

Then she grabbed him by the bicep. "What are you just standing there for?" she said as she yanked him off. "Let's go set something on fire!"

…

Misty had never really cared for Viridian City.

Oh, it was a nice enough place. As one of the large cities in Kanto and the last stop before Victory Road, it was specially geared toward serving the needs of competitive Pokemon trainers, from its many hotels to its several well-stocked PokeMarts to having one of the larger PokeCenters in the region, it was a natural draw for people in her business.

But even so, the whole city just had a weird vibe around it, one that Misty never could really explain. Part of it was the notorious elusiveness of its Gym Leader. Granted, the Gym Leaders weren't exactly required to keep correspondence with their colleagues, but a simple introductory message when she had taken over the Cerulean Gym like she had gotten from most of the others would have been nice. But no, in the year and a half since, she still didn't even know his name, or why he kept such erratic hours.

But even beyond that, there was just something _off_ about Viridian City. Every time she passed through, it gave her the most uncomfortable feeling, like she was being constantly watched. It made her skin crawl, and she always opted for camping in the nearby forests instead of availing herself of the many hotels like she would in one of the other towns.

But now she was returning, in part because someone had to replenish their supplies, but also because she had promised to do a little fact-finding. Neither Ash nor May could safely return, so it was up to her to find out what was going on.

She just wished that she had an inkling of what to look out for.

Well, the ideal place to start would be the PokeCenter. After all, it had been where everything had gone down.

Sure enough, when the large building came into view, it was clearly not open for business. The front entrance was barricaded by police, and there were uniformed workmen bustling about it, clearing away debris. Ash hadn't been kidding about the attack. Team Rocket were definitely growing bolder.

Misty considered getting closer, but decided against it. No doubt Team Rocket would have their own people keeping the scene under surveillance, so it was better not to risk getting spotted. Fortunately, the PokeCenter was located near the southernmost border, with the wild grasslands and forests that separated it and Pallet Town just beyond.

Misty scouted about until she found a hill with a suitably tall tree that had climbable branches and hoisted herself up. Pulling a small pair of binoculars out of her pack, she scoped out the scene.

From the look of things, most of the damage was to the glass roof. There was also a shattered window, probably courtesy of that Meowth May had punted. She had been _quite_ insistent on pointing that out, during her own retelling of the night's events. Beyond that, even with her vantage point it was difficult to actually see anything inside. She could make out the front desk, where a couple of inspectors were, well, _inspecting._ And there did be what looked like, uh…big…scorched…pokeballs? Four of them, pushed into a small pile? No, wait, those were Voltorbs, apparently ones that had fainted from their weird impulse to self-destruct at the first sign of trouble. Well, at least she knew how Team Rocket had blown the roof, for all the good it did her.

All that was very interesting, but didn't tell her anything she didn't already know, so she turned her attention to what was going on outside. Standing right in front of the sliding glass doors in the middle of the barricade was Viridian City's Officer Jenny. That made sense, as every town had a member of the Jenny family serving on its police force, just as every PokeCenter had a Nurse Joy.

Misty considered going down to talk to Officer Jenny, maybe ask a few questions, but then ruled that idea out. If _she_ was able to spy on the PokeCenter, then it stood to reason that Team Rocket probably had their people watching it too, and while she didn't know how much they knew about her connection to Ash and May, she didn't want to take chances.

And then Misty saw something _very_ interesting.

A young woman with bright pink hair was walking toward the PokeCenter, one wearing green sweatpants and an Indigo League tee-shirt. She seemed to be out of sorts, judging by how heavy her steps were, and her shoulders were slumped pretty far too. She was rubbing her head as if it pained her, and every few steps she would let out a wide yawn.

Still, as disheveled as she was, and despite her lack of a uniform, Misty recognized her immediately, or at least recognized who she was. Nurse Joy, probably the same one that had helped May and Ash the night before disappearing.

Hmmm, _interesting!_

Then, as Misty watched, Nurse Joy walked right past the police barricade, giving Officer Jenny a rather distracted wave. Officer Jenny nodded at her, but quickly turned away.

Misty focused on the green-haired police officer's face. Was it her imagination, or did Officer Jenny look…kind of guilty?

Nurse Joy continued on her way, heading right to the front door. It slid open, letting her in, and though her position prevented her from seeing the whole of the PokeCenter's interior, she did get a good look of what lay right beyond the front door.

Standing within was a man, and as soon as Misty saw his face she just about fell out of the tree.

She _knew_ that man! She had met him! During one of Team Rocket's many attempts to buy out a controlling interest of the Cerulean Gym he had come to talk to her in person, him and two of Team Rocket's criminal thugs, appropriately titled "Grunts." The meeting had been quick, nothing more than an intimidation attempt. He hadn't even given her his name.

But she did know his face. He wasn't dressed in the same outfit as before, but it was him all right: the same aquamarine hair, the same cold eyes, the same look of total disdain for everything around him.

As the doors slid shut, Misty wrinkled her nose and dropped down from the tree. There was no question about it. Something was rotten in Viridian City.

…

Creeping along on tiptoes, Ash and May snuck their way through the field closest to their campsite. It was wide and grassy, with plenty of shallow hills, rocks, and wildflower beds. Closer to the forest was a large lake, full of crystal-clear water.

It was lovely, it was serene, and, due to Kanto law, largely unspoiled by human presence.

In other words, the perfect place to find wild Pokemon.

It was difficult for Ash to keep calm and contain his excitement. It was finally time! He was going to catch his first Pokemon, and for real this time! Okay, so he had showed up too late to pick out a starter? Fine, he would just go find one on his own.

When he had been younger, Ash and Gary would often wander the fields, looking for wild Pokemon as practice for when they could do the real thing, though Gary's grandpa had put a stop to that after Gary started throwing rocks at Pokemon, pretending that they were pokeballs.

Well, Gary wasn't here like he had promised, but May was! And as far as Ash was concerned, he had traded up in every possible way. May was nicer than Gary. May was prettier than Gary. May was…okay, she was far, _far_ crazier than Gary, but nobody was perfect. And most importantly, May could shoot fireballs from her feet and fists! That was the big difference-maker. If any were too strong to be caught, then well, she would certainly take care of that! And if they encountered anything as cankerous as those Spearows, then they would have a spinning inferno to contend with!

And Ash could already see her first target. Further down the field was a spot fairly clear of grass, where the ground was mostly dirt and rocks. And treading morosely over that patch was a small creature with a brown body; a short, stubby tail; and a cracked skull pulled down over its head like a helmet. Tearstains darkened the skull around the eye-sockets, and it was dragging a bleached femur behind it as it plodded along, weeping to itself.

"There!" Ash said, pointing. "A Cubone. Let's go for that."

"A Cubone, huh?" May said, peering over his shoulder. "You sure? Because I hear they get _really_ annoying after a few days, what with all that crying."

Ash shrugged. "Well, I mean, wouldn't you if you lost your mom?"

"I ran away from home, Ash. So…no."

Ash winced. Family drama, whoops.

"And I definitely wouldn't stick her skull over my head. Why do they do that, anyway?"

"Uh, don't know." Ash pulled out a pokeball and expanded it into his palm. "But this is where we start, so I need you to-"

"Beat the tears outta him, got it! Be right back!"

"No, May, wait!" Ash cried, but May had already bounded right over him and was racing over to the Cubone. Ash watched in despair as her red aura became visible.

"Hey, BONEHEAD!" May called.

The Cubone stopped its wandering and weeping and looked up in confusion.

"Eat this!"

Ash slapped a hand over his face as May leapt into the air, flipped her body around, and came at the Cubone feet-first, her legs bursting into flames.

May's aim was perfect. The soles of her blazing feet struck the now _very_ confused Pokemon right in the chest and launched it sailing, out of the bare patch, out of the field, and far into the forest while it wailed, " _CuuuuuuuuuBOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNE_!"

And then it was gone.

Sighing, Ash shook his head and jogged over to where May was standing and staring in surprise at where the Cubone had disappeared.

"Uh…" she said. She glanced at him and winced. "Oops."

"May, come on!" Ash complained. "I'm the trainer here, and you're supposed to do what I say! If you keep blaze kicking every Pokemon we come across into orbit, then I'll never catch anything!"

"Right, right." May held up her palms with a sheepish grin. "Sorry, champ. Won't happen again."

"Well, it's okay," Ash said after a bit. "I guess it's not that big of a deal. Except for that Cubone, I guess."

"Ah, it'll be _fine,"_ May said with a dismissive wave. "You wouldn't believe how resilient Pokemon are. Seriously, you can barbeque one with the heat of the _sun_ and it'll just walk it off in a few minutes."

Ash wondered how much of that was true. Certainly, Pokemon were capable of taking punishment that would kill a human, but there had to be limits.

Then again, PokeGirls gained the same resiliency as Pokemon, so maybe May knew what she was talking about. He had watched in awe and horror as PokeGirls on televised battles were set on fire, electrocuted, buried in rocks, and pummeled with fists capable of leveling mountains, and came out of it little worse for the wear. Of course, all of that still _hurt;_ May's agony after being bitten by that Sableye was proof of that. But it wouldn't be nearly as debilitating as it would be for anyone else.

Ash considered inquiring about the subject further, but then decided against it. They were there to find Pokemon, and since his own PokeGirl had made it clear that she wasn't going to be participating in any battles, he supposed that it wasn't really all that relevant to his career choice.

"Come on," he said. "Let's go see if we can find something else."

May saluted. "Aye, aye, cap'n!"

…

All in all, Misty prided herself on being a smart girl, but there were times in which she wondered if that was true.

For example: how could a ten year old girl maintain control of a major gym, successfully take on several challengers, all the while staving off the efforts of an insidious criminal organization to take over her enterprise? The answer: by being smart. By approaching each battle, whether it be from trainers seeking her badge or the persistent efforts of Team Rocket, with a battle plan in mind and sticking too it, all the while not letting herself be intimidated.

But there were times in which she wondered if she was letting her smarts allow her to do some really dumb things. For example: while she had been successful in holding off Team Rocket so far, some could argue that the actual smart thing would be to not fight them at all, to just let them have the darned gym and walk away before she ended up on the PokeGirl black market. After all, they had overcome Gym Leaders that were older and more experienced than her. It was said that when they had approached the Saffron City Gym Leader with a threat and an offer, she had rolled over immediately and given them everything they wanted, and she was rumored to have psychic powers! There were those who mocked the Saffron City Gym Leader for being a pushover and a coward, but others pointed out that as a psychic, she would know things that other people wouldn't, so wasn't that an indication that Team Rocket was even more dangerous than they appeared.

This was one of those moments. On the one hand, she was pretty sure that she was approaching her one-girl investigation of Ash's harrowing experiences the night before smartly: staying out of sight, moving with caution, and quickly connecting the dots. On the other hand, it could also be argued that the real smart thing to do would be to not investigate it at all, to stay well away from Viridian City. She had already confirmed that Team Rocket was in fact in town, and had some kind of hold on the cops. Pushing things further only increased her chances of being disappeared.

And above all, she almost definitely should not be following Nurse Joy home. She had _seen_ Nurse Joy walk right past those crooked cops and enter the same room as someone she knew was with Team Rocket. And she had seen that same Nurse Joy walk right out again. That meant that she was either _with_ Team Rocket (sort of unlikely, given what Ash and May had told her), or they had some means of controlling her. If she had really disappeared last night while waiting for the crooked cops to show up but was walking around the next morning, then it stood to reason that they had done _something_ to her to make sure she wasn't a threat. So shadowing her was probably a very, _very_ bad idea.

And yet, here Misty was, following Nurse Joy as she headed home. She was doing it _smartly:_ keeping a sizeable distance between them, hiding behind things like telephone poles and mailboxes, and keeping an eye out for anyone that might be following _her,_ but the actual smart thing was probably to not follow her at all. But she was. And it was probably a bad idea.

As it turned out, Nurse Joy lived pretty close to the PokeCenter, which was probably why she had walked to work instead of drove. Misty followed her into a nice, quiet suburban neighborhood and watched from the far end of the street as she entered a pretty little house with white walls and a bed of pink roses.

Misty stood where she was, considering her next move. Should she walk up to Nurse Joy's house and knock? Was Team Rocket watching her house? Was Team Rocket watching her entire neighborhood? Had Misty already been spotted? Should she just leave now? But if she left, what had been the point of trailing Nurse Joy in the first place? Was she wasting her time? Should she just-

"Hey, girlie!"

Oh, right. And then there was this guy.

Sighing, Misty turned to find herself confronted with the infuriated visage of one Gary Oak.

It seemed that young master Gary's fortunes hadn't improved much since she had last seen him (was it really just yesterday? It felt like weeks ago!), and he was putting the bulk of the blame on her shoulders. His face was beet-red, and he was hunched over with his fist clenched and shaking. Behind him was his troupe of cheerleaders, all of them with their arms folded, all of them shooting Misty identical hateful glowers. The chauffer stood off to one side, her hand on her hip and her expression dispassionate, but Misty still felt the malice radiating off of her.

All taken together, their collective hatred of her quite frankly filled her heart with cheer.

"Oh, hey!" she said in an obnoxiously bubbly voice. "It's…you! Hello, you!"

"Don't talk smart with me, you know darn well who I am!" Gary cried, thrusting a finger at her finger. "And you wrecked my car! You'll pay for that!"

"Uh-huh," Misty said, entirely unmoved by his wrath. She shrugged. "Well, you cost me my bike, so I guess the only thing to do is call it even." She moved his finger aside with her and started to walk past him. "So if you'll excuse me…"

Gary snapped his finger back into place. "Oh, no! You're not walking away from me! When I said you'll pay, I meant literally! That car was brand new! Do you have any idea how much it costs?"

As if on cue, all the cheerleaders pulled out their pom-poms and started angrily shaking them, all the while chanting, _"You ruined our day, flipped it like a switch! So now you'll pay, you stupid little bi-"_

"Like I care!" Misty planted a hand onto Gary's shoulder and gave him a hard shove. Not expecting this sudden show of aggression, he actually stumbled half-a-step back before recovering his balance.

" _You_ were trying to catch me!" Misty went on. "Which is against pretty much every single rule, when number one, you're not supposed to be catching PokeGirls at your age! Number two, I'm not supposed to be caught at my age! Number three, the laws specifically state that a girl can only be caught _after_ being defeated fair and square in a Pokemon battle!"

"Ha!" Gary folded his arms and scoffed. "Like anyone would believe a little shrimp like you!"

Misty felt a persistent twitch start to develop in her right eye. "What. Did. You. Call. Me?"

"Do you even know who I am?" Gary went on, pointing a boastful thumb at himself. "Do you have any idea?"

"Does it look like I care?" Misty retorted as she took an angry step forward. "You could be the head of the League for all it mattered!"

"Well, I'm close enough!" Gary snapped back. "I'm-"

"The grandson of Professor Oak! Yeah! I know! Wasn't hard to figure out!"

"Ha, so you _do_ know who I am!" Gary crowed. "So if I were you, I'd be talking to me just a little more respectfully, or my Gramps will-"

Then he seemed to lose his train of thought, courtesy of the ornate license Misty was thrusting into his face, the one that held her name, her official title, her credentials, and had one of her Cascade Badges pinned to one end.

"Well, _I'm_ Misty Waterflower, the Cerulean City Gym Leader!" she shot back. "That means I'm _actually_ someone important, instead of just being related to someone important!"

Now, Gary had put Misty through a lot of pain. It was because of him that she had had to flee downriver, losing her bike and several other personal items in the process. It was because of him that she had ended up trapped in the storm without an umbrella. It was because of him that she had wound up getting attacked by the Spearow flock along with Ash. It was because of him that she had almost died from getting struck by lightning. It was because of him that she had wound up as a PokeGirl, which meant that her life's path had radically changed. It was because of him that she was quite possibly in very real danger from Team Rocket.

But all of that was almost made worth it just by seeing the blood drain from his face as he slowly came to process who she was.

"You're…You're a _Gym Leader?"_ Gary gawked.

"That's right! And if you don't want me calling up League Headquarters to report some loudmouthed idiot illegally hunting underage girls while being underage himself, I'd shut up right now!" Misty snapped her license case shut and stuffed it back into her pocket. "And if you want half a chance of even _challenging_ for the Cascade Badge, then you should walk away right now! Otherwise, the second you show your face in my town, I'm kicking you right out!"

The cheerleaders all gasped in unison. _"Holy crap! What a twist! We were not expecting this!"_

As for Gary, he was turning so red and shaking so much that Misty half-expected to see actual steam start shooting out of his ears. "You…a Gym Leader…how…is that…" Then he made a sound like an overheating tea kettle and then stomped past her. "Come on, girls! Let's go get a new car!"

Misty couldn't help but smirk as she watched the lot of them retreat. Gary might be Ash's personal rival, but she was taking a real vested interest in humiliating him as well. She was still pretty salty about the loss of her bike, to say nothing of the whirlwind of events Gary had kicked off by going after her.

The water-type cheerleader, the one that had almost swam after her before, looked over her shoulder to glower as Misty. In response, Misty waggled her fingers at her and blew her a kiss. The cheerleader scowled and turned away in a huff.

Then Misty frowned. Maaaaayyyyybe it hadn't been such a great idea to tell Gary who she was, especially since she was trying to keep it from Ash. It had been a sort of spur of the moment thing, and it had done the trick of shutting Gary up, but now that he knew, he could probably use that knowledge to cause trouble.

Well, she would have to deal with that when it happened. Misty turned to leave.

And nearly ran straight into a young man coming from the other direction.

"Hey!" Misty snapped in indignation. She had been standing still! Why hadn't he seen her? "Watch where you're-"

And then she recognized him, and her voice trailed off.

He was of medium height and had a slight build, with poofy green hair and intelligent dark eyes. He was dressed a little too finely for the neighborhood, wearing a silken brown suit with gold and scarlet trim, complete with a pale green cravat, but he wore it well. Over one shoulder was an expensive traveler's back, and he was walking with the assistance of a black hiking stick.

Then the young man tiled his head and frowned. "Misty? Is that you?"

Misty sighed. Then, plastering what she hoped looked like an authentically friendly smile on her face, she waved and said, "Oh, hi there, Professor Conifer!" A pause, and then, "So…fancy seeing you here!"

"Well, the same," the young man said dubiously. "And… _again._ Please call me Bill. I'm still not really used to the whole 'Professor' thing."

Bill Conifer was considered Kanto's "other" Pokemon professor, even if he did actually come from Sinnoh. A former apprentice of Samuel Oak, he was famed for both his research into Pokemon physiology and psychology as well as his genius as an inventor, which had led to him becoming one of the youngest Pokemon Professors in the world, beating even Professor Kukui of Alola's record. Misty had been introduced to him the previous year at the League Summit, and honestly liked him more than most of her colleagues, mainly because he was closer to her age than most, even if that did come out to being around twice and a half again as old as her. At least he didn't treat her like a kid, which even the ones that were younger than him did.

Still, while Bill was a lot more tolerable than most, that didn't mean Misty was pleased to see him. Drawing League attention was something she could do without at the moment.

"Sure! Sure. Bill." Another pause, and then Misty put her hands on her hips and clicked her tongue. "Welp! Nice seeing yah, but I've got to run!" She started to stroll off, humming loudly.

Bill waited until she had almost walked all the way past him before remarking, "So, _why_ were you stalking the local Nurse Joy?"

Misty froze in mid-step. Wincing, she casually scratched the back of her head and said with a nervous laugh, "Ah, wh-whaddya mean, ha ha ha? I'm just…out for a walk, you know? It's such a lovely day!"

Bill clearly wasn't buying it. "Was that Sam's grandson I just saw you arguing with?"

"Oh, so you've met him!" Yet another pause. "Kind of a jerk, isn't he?"

Bill shot her a knowing look. "Does this have anything to do with the attack on the PokeCenter last night?"

Oh, crap, crap, crap. Out of all the people she could have run into, it had to be one of the Professors, one renowned for his eye for detail.

"It…uh…" Misty stammered, knowing full well how suspicious she sounded but not knowing how else to respond. "Maybe?"

Bill sighed. Then he shook his head and smiled. "Can I buy you lunch?"

…

"May!" Ash jostled May's shoulder and pointed to the sky. "Look!"

After their failure to acquire the Cubone, Ash and May had started poking around near the borders to Viridian Forest. May had cautioned against going in until Misty came back, and given what he had heard about the place, Ash had agreed. One did not enter Viridian Forest intending to take a light stroll, and there were plenty of wild Pokemon outside of its dark paths.

And he had just spotted a prime contender for his first catch.

It was a bug-type, one with a fat black-and-yellow striped abdomen that ended in a wicked stinger. It had four spindly limbs, two of which were topped by razor-sharp cones, and a sleek yellow head with two dangling antennae and two large red eyes.

"A Beedrill?" May said, shielding her eyes from the sun.

Ash nodded. He had heard of Beedrills living in Viridian Forest, so this one must have just wandered out. What was more, it was a fully evolved Pokemon, one that had already progressed two whole stages, gaining strength, experience, and ability to do so! Starting off with one of those would be fantastic.

"Yeah, and it's bug-type, so it'll be weak to your fire attacks!" Ash said. "You'll be able to take it out easily!" He started to run after it. "Come on, let's go-"

May snagged him by the sleeve. "Uh, you might want to rethink that."

"Huh? Why?"

"A couple of reasons," May said. She started ticking off points on her fingers. "First, like you said, it's a bug-type. And Misty has this _thing_ about bug-types."

"Thing?" Ash stared blankly at her. "What kind of thing?"

"I mean they scare the jibblies out of her."

Ash couldn't help but snicker a little at that. "Really? Misty's afraid of bugs?"

"Uh-huh, she is. So she's probably not going to appreciate you bringing back a really big bug. Especially since you want her to teach you how to train it!"

Ash frowned. "But it's my journey, isn't it? Can't I catch the Pokemon I want to catch?"

"Sure, you _can,_ but I'm just saying that if you want my main girl to show you the ropes, then freaking her out on day one probably isn't the greatest idea. Especially seeing how you almost got her killed on day zero."

"Oh, uh, huh." Ash awkwardly toed a rock. "Right, I guess I didn't think of that…"

"Also, wild Beedrills are never far from the rest of their hive, right? My dad has this friend that comes over a lot, and he's _majorly_ into bug-types, won't shut up about them! And he says that if you see a wild Beedrill out by itself, then it's probably either a sentry or a scout, and attacking it will just bring the rest of the swarm down on you. I don't really feel like getting stung to death, do you?"

Ash thought back to the Spearow flock from the day before. They had been bad enough, but if it were angry _Beedrills_ after him…

"Ugh," he said with a shiver. "Okay. Your point is taken."

May sympathetically patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll find something soon. I guarantee it!"

"Right," Ash breathed. He nodded. "Right! Just got to be positive! It's only a matter of time!"

"That's the spirit! Now, let's go!"

The two moved away from Viridian Forest and back to the smaller groves. "By the way, May," Ash said as he scanned the underbrush while May focused on the treetops. "How'd you know that you were a fire-type after Misty caught you? Is it something you just know, or…"

"Nope!" May said as she stood with one hand on her hip, the other shielding her eyes as she surveyed the skies. "Had to find that out the old-fashioned way!"

Ash paused. Though they had kind of just met, he felt that he had learned enough about May to know where this was going. "You burned something down, didn't you?"

"Torched my dad's garage! Last thing I did before I took off! I mean, I didn't mean to, but I wasn't going to stop it once it started happening. The fires were just so pretty, you know? Plus, he had that ugly project car that he was always-"

Ash abruptly stuck up his hand, calling for silence. "Shhh!"

May paused, and then hurried over to his side. "What is it?" she whispered. "Did you hear something?"

Ash nodded. He pointed toward a particularly thick cluster of trees not far off.

From there, the sound of rhythmic smacking could be heard, like something was getting hit over and over. This was punctuated by strained growls and grunts.

Something was fighting. And since Ash could hear no trainer yelling commands, that probably meant that it was a battle between two wild Pokemon.

Which meant if he proceeded with caution and played his cards right, he might be able to catch them both.

"C'mon," he whispered, and he and May hunched over and crept over to the copse.

The thumping and soft moans didn't stop even as they grew closer. Good. That meant that they hadn't been detected. Though come to think of it, those sounds did sound weirdly familiar, and the memory they were jogging didn't have anything to do with Pokemon. Actually, it sounded a lot like those videos Gary had shown him when-

Then the trees opened up, and Ash froze in place.

There were no Pokemon in the copse. Rather, there was a woman, one who was…well, _dressed_ is probably the wrong word, but she was clad from the top of her head down to her feet in a restricting outfit that was black, shiny, and almost impossibly skintight, accentuating every curve, all save for her long teal hair, which stuck out of a hole in the top of the suit's head; her nose; her mouth, which was covered with the same kind of red ball and strap May had been wearing the day before; and her breasts, which were hanging free. Her arms were bound behind her back, her legs seemingly strapped together, making it impossible for her to move on her own, and she didn't even have eye-holes, rendering her sightless.

An open slit was in the suit right over her groin, and it was into that slit that a young man with no pants on was thrusting his hips, hence the smacking sound. And as it turned out, he was the one growling while she was the one grunting.

Oops.

His face now bright pink and burning, Ash glanced over to May, who glanced back at him and sighed. Then she tilted her head back the direction from which they came, and Ash nodded.

The two crept back as quietly as they could. Fortunately the older trainer was so wrapped up with playtime with his PokeGirl that he had yet to notice that their privacy had been disturbed.

And then Ash's foot came down on an acorn, which crunched loudly beneath his sole.

Uh-oh.

Both the trainer and his PokeGirl ceased copulating and turned around. Predictably, the trainer looked none too pleased when he saw the pair of kids crouching nearby. Even the PokeGirl looked pissed, and her entire face was covered, including her eyes, so Ash didn't know how she was able to see them.

"Er, hi!" May said, waving awkwardly. "Don't mind us! We'll be on our-"

"Get out of here, you little brats!" the trainer roared. At the same time, the PokeGirl started to glow yellow.

They didn't need to be told twice. May seized Ash's hand and practically yanked him off his feet and dragged him away.

As they fled, they heard a sound like a generator powering on. A moment later the irate trainer cried in alarm, "Michelle, wait! I'm still inside-"

A moment later there was a thunderclap, and a tree exploded right behind them.

In the silence that followed, they could hear the trainer moaning in pain while the PokeGirl made sounds of distress and remorse.

Ash looked at May and winced. "Oops," he said.

May returned the expression. "Ouch."

…

The place Bill took her two was a retro café several blocks away from the PokeCenter. He ordered for the two of them (a turkey sub with chips and a diet soda for her, and just a black coffee for him), and took their food to an isolated booth.

Misty sat down first. She was as stiff as a board, her back ramrod straight, her knees bents at a ninety-degree angle, her legs pressed together, and her hands on her thighs. Though she didn't move her head, she couldn't keep her eyes from flitting this way and that, wary for any signs of attack.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Bill…Well, no, it was exactly that. She liked Bill just fine, probably more than she liked other members of the Indigo League. But she still barely knew him. There had been rumors that Team Rocket had already infiltrated the League at the highest levels, and considering their persistence in trying to acquire her gym, she could believe it. Maybe Bill was one of them. Maybe she was in very real danger now.

Bill didn't sit down right away. Instead, he removed a pokeball from his pocket, expanded it, and opened it, letting the Pokemon inside materialize on the floor beneath the table. Misty glanced down. It was a little yellow biped with a pointy head, pointy tail, and eyes shut tight, one who was leaning back against the table leg. It appeared to be fast asleep.

"There," Bill said as he sat down across from Misty. "Abra will foul up any recording devices and muddle any psychics in the area, as well as garble our voices to anyone not within the immediate area. We can speak freely."

Misty started. "Wait, huh?"

Bill smiled proudly. "The very first Pokemon I ever caught was an Abra. People often underestimate them because they spend so much time sleeping, but they are actually far more aware of their surroundings than most wide awake humans! And their capabilities are really quite fascinating. They will unconsciously seek out any sort of disturbance that might interrupt their rest, whether it be cognitive, electrical, or audible, and produce a psychic field that not only muffles the disturbances, but also causes any other possible disturbances to instinctively steer clear! Some have even theorized that the reason that they spend so much time sleeping is that generating this field takes up so much energy that…"

His voice trailed off when he saw the blank look on Misty's face.

"My apologies," Bill said. "When you love something you just want to talk about it all the time."

"Uh-huh," Misty said. "But, um, about why you wanted to buy me lunch…"

"Right, of course!" Bill removed the lid from his cup of coffee, carefully tore open a sugar packet, and slowly poured it into the steaming dark brown liquid, giving it a few shakes at the end to dislodge as many sugar crystals as possible. And then he did it again. And again. "As it so happens, I am on my way to the Indigo League Headquarters to discuss the design and implementation of a new Pokemon storage system. Perhaps you've heard of it? It made the cover of PokeTech Weekly last month! Essentially what it does it-"

"Bill," Misty sighed.

"Er, right." Now that six packets of sugar had gone into his coffee, Bill then opened the first of the small cups of cream with as much precision and care as he had the sugar, and when he poured it into his coffee, he did so in a clockwise motion, dribbling the white liquid out a little at a time. "Anyway, I thought that I'd stop by the local PokeCenter on my way to see if I had any messages, but when I did, the place was closed. It was really quite surprising, as PokeCenters _never_ close unless something terrible has happened. And when I learned that it was due to an attack by Team Rocket agents, I was quite a bit taken back."

"Really?" Misty tilt her head to one side and frowned. To her, attacking a PokeCenter sounded completely in character with what she knew of Team Rocket. "Why?"

Bill seemed ill at ease. He cupped his coffee with both hands, staring down into it as his thumbs beat against the cup's sides. "Well, to be honest, there is a reason why I chose a public venue for us to talk," he said at last. "And why I'm employing Abra in this manner. And that is…there have been, oh, shall we say, some very dark rumors about Team Rocket's activities here in Viridian City."

Well, that didn't sound good at all. "Wait, what kind of rumors, exactly? Because no one told me anything."

"Well, I suspect that's because you're still a child."

Misty blinked.

Moments later Bill had jerked as far back in his seat as he could go as thirty-two kilograms of pure redheaded rage was practically throwing herself across the table to snap in his face.

"Hey, what do you mean, I'm still a child?" Misty demanded, thrusting a finger into Bill's chest. "I'm an official Gym Leader! I worked hard to become one, and I think I deserve the same respect all the other Gym Leaders get!"

Sweating visibly, Bill held up his hands and said, "No offense intended, but-"

Intended or not, Misty had taken quite a lot of offense. "Well, this child has been holding them off from getting into Cerulean City all by myself, and nobody in the League ever offered to help!" She jabbed her finger into his chest in time with each word. "So if they're going to keep secrets from me just because I'm a kid, then they've got another thing coming!"

"Misty, I do not disagree with you!" Bill looked around nervously. "And please, sit down."

Though she was still quite indignant, Misty glanced at the rest of the dining area as well. Most of the other patrons hadn't noticed her outburst, probably thanks to Abra's constant interference, but one or two were looking their way in curiosity.

Sitting back down, Misty sulkily folded her arms. "Still a child. Psh. As if any of those old codgers ever did half the stuff I've done when they were my age."

Sighing, Bill settled back down as well. "Well, to hear some of the stories surrounding Agatha…"

Misty shivered. Agatha was a senior member of the Indigo League's governing body and was, to put it mildly, extremely creepy. Every League meeting was spent in part trying to avoid the old woman's attention.

"Let me attempt to rephrase my earlier comment," Bill said. "It is entirely possible that you were not told of Team Rocket's suspected activities in Viridian City out of fear that doing so would only attract more attention to yourself. Given that Team Rocket has already expressed interest in your gym, perhaps it was best that they not consider you more of a threat than they already did."

Misty was less than impressed with that explanation. "Oh, that right?" she said, propping her elbow on the table and leaning her cheek against her palm. "Okay. So…where was this concern when Team Rocket sent their thugs _right into my office_ to try to intimidate me, huh?"

At this, Bill sat up straight in shock. "They did _what?"_

Despite everything, Misty was enjoying being the one to drop truth-bombs on a senior member of the League. "Yeah. And you want to know what else? The man leading them, the one that did all the talking? I saw him standing right inside that busted PokeCenter earlier, right in there with the police and everything. So, uh, any secrets that those wise grown-ups might be keeping from me to protect me? Kind of too late!"

"I had no idea," Bill said, slowly breathing out.

"And neither do I, apparently." Misty rolled her wrist at him, indicating for him to continue. "So please, Bill. Catch me up on the rumors about what Team Rocket's been up to here in Viridian City." She then glanced to her yet untouched food, shrugged, and peeled the wrapping away from the sandwich and began to eat.

Looking quite uncomfortable, Bill took several sips of his coffee, probably to help steady his nerves. "You're right, you ought to know," he said at last. "I just wish I knew more to tell you." He set the cup down and nudged it off to the side. "You see, while there's been talk floating around about the degree to which Team Rocket has established control in various cities here in Kanto…you know, you hear talk of Saffron City and Fuchsia City and a bit about Celadon City, it's said that they exercise more control here in Viridian City than any other town. Obviously I don't know to what extent, but I've been warned that, should I ever need to stop by that I ought not linger."

Misty blinked. She of course knew about what had happened in Saffron City, about how Team Rocket had made the same aggressive efforts to gain control over that gym and the local Gym Leader had just rolled over for them, but this was new. "You're kidding. Viridian City?" To her, owing to its close proximity to Victory Road, she had assumed that Viridian City would be something of a save haven.

"I know!" Bill said. "Given it's abnormally low crime rate it seems like nonsense, But I have to admit, there always has been something off about this place, something I've never really been able to put my finger on." Frowning, he rubbed his chin as he thought. "I asked Sam about it once, and all he would tell me that there was a reason why he never made the journey up here, despite it being so close to his hometown."

"Wow," Misty said. She pulled the bag of chips open and started munching. "So, uh, is _that_ why the local Gym Leader is never in town, or never shows up for League meetings?"

Bill's mouth set in a straight line. "If a criminal organization known for stealing powerful Pokemon and kidnapping PokeGirls had an inordinate amount of influence in your town, and you were in possession of large numbers of both, would you want to stick around any longer than you had to?"

"Jeez, and here I thought that he was just lazy," Misty muttered. She had always held her reclusive, unnamed colleague in some level of contempt. Gym Leaders were supposed to be public figures in her opinion, so if a kid like her could do the job of a Gym Leader, then there was no excuse for a veteran Gym Leader to shirk his duties like that. But in light of this new information, she kind of felt sorry for him. Maybe Team Rocket had gotten to him somehow, kidnapping a beloved PokeGirl and torturing her as a means of leverage. Maybe his reclusiveness was a way to prevent it from happening again.

"Well, never actually having met the man, I cannot say," Bill said with a shrug. "But all that having been said, I have to bring things back to the original point. After arriving at the PokeCenter and learning about the attack, I was about to simply be on my way, but then I so happened to notice the local Nurse Joy passing by." He raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think much of it, until I saw what had to be the Cerulean City Gym Leader shadowing her, and making, um, an _effort_ to not be seen."

Misty scowled. "Why'd you say 'effort' all weird like that?"

"You aren't very good at it," Bill said bluntly.

Despite knowing that he was kind of right, she still felt insulted. "She didn't see me though!"

Bill sighed. One shoulder lifted in a half-shrug. "Misty, why are you here? Why were you following her?"

Well, he was finally cutting straight to the point. Fortunately, Misty could tell him enough of the truth without spilling the more, well, _sensitive_ details. "All right, all right. Look, some friends of mine were in that PokeCenter when it got hit, and the Nurse Joy helped them get away, but she up and disappeared right after they escaped. So they were worried about her, and we didn't think it was safe for them to go back to the PokeCenter so soon, so I volunteered to check things out."

Bill thoughtfully pursed his lips. "And that's when you noticed something you recognized from Team Rocket inside of the PokeCenter."

"Yes."

"And you saw Nurse Joy, the same one that was supposedly in danger, go into the PokeCenter and come out again, and felt that something was up."

Good, he was buying her explanation. True, she wasn't lying, but there were details that she'd rather he not pick up on. "Exactly."

Then Bill sighed. "Oh dear."

Misty's ears pricked up. There was something very troubling in how he said that. "'Oh dear' _what?"_

Before answering, Bill once again glanced around the room and, though he probably didn't need to, lowered his voice. "Misty, I think it's within your best interests to leave immediately."

"Why?"

"While you were tailing Nurse Joy, did you by any chance notice anything _off_ about her? That she seemed a little…addled?"

Misty thought back. Yes, Nurse Joy did seem to be pretty out of it, like she had just woken up. Except it had been late in the morning at the time, plenty of time to get some coffee and ready one's self for the day. Besides, Misty had visited many PokeCenters early in the morning, and the Nurse Joy on duty was always bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.

"Yeah, come to think of it, she did seem kind of out of it," she said.

"Not something one would expect by a member of a family specifically trained to be quick-thinking and observant," Bill pointed out.

Misty shrugged. "Maybe she's just not a morning person."

Bill sighed. "What you saw is known as Cognitive Interference-Induced Confusion, more commonly known as a psychic hangover, a telltale sign of psychic manipulation."

Misty felt shards of ice shiver down her back. "Hold on, what?"

"Psychic manipulation is something of a messy process. Most psychics, be they Pokemon, PokeGirls, or just someone with enhanced cognitive abilities, can form some level of an empathetic link, but it rarely accomplishes more than getting a general reading of the target's emotions, maybe a stray thought or two. Those with more advanced abilities are capable of a deeper connection, such as causing the target to enter a temporary hypnotic state, inducing sleep, or even consciously taking control of another's body. Mental suggestions require great amounts of power and training before they can be done effectively, lest they end up accidentally doing cerebral damage to the victim." Bill spread his hands. "And when it comes to things like memory erasure and replacing them with false memories, well, it can be done, and done effectively, but it leaves the victim groggy and listless for quite some time afterward."

Misty swallowed. "So, what you're saying is…"

"If the local Nurse Joy did indeed help your friends escape a Team Rocket attack only to mysteriously disappear but then show up alive and well this morning and entered a damaged PokeCenter that contained a ranking member of Team Rocket and walked out again, then that suggests a couple of possibilities." Bill held up a single finger. "One, that she was working with Team Rocket and was in on the attack, and simply wished to limit casualties, and thus hustled any nearby children out as quickly as she could."

"No," Misty said, shaking her head. "Nuh-uh. Nope. They told me that Team Rocket was trying to get her as much as they were trying to get my friends, and that she was actually calling the police when she vanished."

"Then that brings us to the second possibility," Bill said, holding up a second finger. "That she _was_ captured, but rather than catching her as a PokeGirl and vanishing her into the black market network, they sought to cover their tracks by psychically erasing her memories of last night and sending her home, thereby avoiding any suspicion that might arise if the local Nurse Joy were to simply vanish without a trace."

"That's, uh…" Misty ran a shaking hand through her carrot-orange hair. "That's even scarier, actually. But wait, if Team Rocket is so powerful in this city, why attack the PokeCenter?"

Bill spread his hands and shrugged. "I haven't the foggiest idea. This is merely speculation, after all."

"Wow. Um, _huh."_

"Which is why I feel that it's best if you just leave. We do not know the extent of Team Rocket's operations, and you are already known to them. If they catch you meddling in their affairs…"

He left the rest of the sentence unspoken, but that was okay. Misty didn't need to know the details of what they would do to her. She had already heard plenty of stories already.

"You're probably right," she sighed. "Crap. I guess I should've done my shopping before I started checking things out."

Bill made a face. "Really? Misty, I know that young girls value having a diversity of fashionable outfits, but is this really the-"

Misty slapped a palm across her own face in exasperation. "No, Bill! I mean for supplies! You do remember that most trainers get from place to place by _walking,_ right? And you need things like _food_ and _toilet paper_ and _potions_ and a dozen other things, right?"

At least Bill had the good graces to look abashed. "Ah, of course," he said sheepishly. "That was presumptuous of me. I apologize."

Misty shrugged and sighed.

"Well, all right. In for a Wailmer, in for a Wailord. Allow me to accompany you for the rest of your errands. Abra should be able to keep prying eyes off of you, at least while you're in Viridian City."

"You're too gracious, gallant sir," Misty smirked. "But if you insist."

Bill nodded. "Now, shall we talk about the part you're not telling me?"

Misty's smirk froze in place. "Uh, excuse me?"

Bill folded his hands in front of his face as he gazed at her with calm but unwavering eyes. "I noticed that in the story you told me, there was one significant detail that you left out. Is there any particular reason why you're a PokeGirl now?"

…

Ash couldn't believe his luck.

After wandering around a bit, Ash and May had found a large lake, not far from where they were camping. May hadn't been thrilled about the water, but Ash insisted that they give it a look anyway. After all, lakes were known to attract a wide variety of Pokemon, both within and without.

And then they had seen it.

It couldn't be.

But it was.

There, poking around some rocks on the shore of the lake, was a Squirtle.

An actual Squirtle, the most coveted Pokemon of the three choices he could have gotten from Professor Oak. The one Gary had taken and rubbed Ash's face in.

And now here one was, out in the wild, his for the taking. It was almost too good to be true.

After scoping the scene out, Ash and May both ducked back behind the boulder they had been hiding behind. "Okay," Ash whispered. "Are you down for this."

"Yup!"

Despite his excitement, there was one order of business they needed to straighten out first. "Are you sure? It is a water type, after all."

May pounded her fist into her palm. "Sneak attack, then? Element of surprise! Overwhelm it before it has a chance to squirt me!"

"Great! Okay, let's review what you got." Ash started ticking off points on his fingers. "You know blaze kick."

"Yup!"

"Ember."

"Indeed I do!"

"Firespin."

"That one's always fun!"

"And smokescreen."

"I didn't even know about that one, but it looks like!"

"Right. Okay, how about flamethrower?"

May shrugged. "Sure. I mean, it's basically just ember, but, you know, _more."_

Ash nodded. "Okay, that's great! How about, um, non-fire attacks?"

"How about what now?"

"Well, you know, fighting type attacks, for example!"

"Hmmm." May rubbed her chin in thought. "Well, I mean, I guess I could punch and kick the guy, but I don't think that counts."

"No, there's definitely a technique to it that I guess you got to learn first," Ash agreed. "Okay, how about anything that'll affect its stats?"

"Uh, yes? Smokescreen? Which we already covered."

"And that's great! But what about, um, growl?"

May quirked an eyebrow. Then she bared her teeth. "Grrr," she said, playfully swiping her fingers at him.

"I…don't think that counts. What about leer?"

"Leer? Oh yeah, I can do leer!" May hopped up, backed up a few feet, and then looked Ash up and now. An increasingly familiar appreciative smirk spread across her face. _"Nice,"_ she said, her voice a throaty growl.

Ash swallowed. Okay, he knew she was just messing with him again, but the way she had said that was _really_ hot. "That's, uh, that's not what…"

"Fine, fine," May sighed. "All right, how about this." She closed her eyes, cleared her throat, and inhaled deeply.

When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing a flickering yellow, and there was a shrill whine.

Ash felt a sudden jolt. His legs went weak, and his skin began to flush. "Uh, o-okay," he said, opening his collar with his fingers and fanning himself. "Good, uh, good job. You c-can turn it off now." It felt like a high-powered lamp was being shone directly onto him.

May did no such thing. She just continued to, well, _leer_ at him with those glowing eyes, her smirk returning. And Ash couldn't help but once again notice just how, well, _hot_ May was, how cute her face was, how alluring the way she was staring at him was, and just how great her figure was under those form-fitting clothes. What was more, he knew what she looked like without those clothes, and he wanted to see her without them again.

Ash felt like there were Butterfrees fluttering around in his stomach. His abdominal muscles began to tighten. "Uh, May?"

She didn't respond. Licking her lips, she reached up with one hand and slowly drew down her shirt's zipper, stopping just beneath her sternum.

Now Ash's little cock was standing straight up, pitching a tent in his pants. "May," he said, his voice sounding much lower than he expected.

Still maintaining eye contact, May reached into her shirt. Ash saw the impressions of her fingers squeeze the swell of her breast while her other hand slipped down into her shorts.

This was getting out of hand. If it kept up, then Ash would be putting his own hand down his pants, and he and May would do just as she had suggested that morning. Which, okay, wouldn't be so bad (actually, it sounded pretty fantastic), but even so…

"May!"

Finally May blinked. She jerked once in surprise and looked down at herself. "Wait, uh…Oops!" She hastily withdrew her hands and squeezed her eye shut. Immediately Ash felt the pressure of her gaze ease, though his crotch was still tingling.

When May opened her eyes again, they were their normal shade of blue. "Sorry about that," she said, zipping her shirt back up. "Guess I got a little carried away. But yes, I know leer!"

"Er, good to hear," Ash said as he stood up, hoping it would make the bulge of his crotch less conspicuous. It did not. "So…back to the Squirtle…"

"Right!" May laughed sheepishly as she scratched the back of her neck. "The Squirtle! Um, that."

Ash frowned. "You're not going to…Um, if you used leer on the Squirtle, it's not going to…"

May sighed. "No, Ash. I'm not that big of a freak. Um, yet."

Yet.

"Okay, so, here's what we'll do!" Ash said. Hopefully returning his attention to the task at hand would quell the flutters in his belly. "You jump out at it, and then smokescreen! Leer! Flamethrower! Roll out of the way, and-"

May's hand shot up. "Um, problem!"

"Oh? What is it?"

"Leer affects the target's defense, right? But flamethrower is a _special_ attack, so…"

"Oh! Right! Uh, blaze kick then!"

"Got it!"

"Only this time, don't-"

"-kick it into next week! Don't worry, I'll make sure it stays put!"

"Great!" Ash flipped his cap around and pulled out a pokeball.

"All right, let's-"

Then he paused, and double-checked the sphere in his hands. Yup, it was definitely a pokeball.

"-let's do this!"

The two tiptoed their way out from behind the boulder. Down by the shore, the Squirtle was sunbathing on a rock, somehow balanced on the back of its shell as it soaked up the sun's rays. It even had on a pair of round-lensed sunglasses, gotten from who knows where.

"Okay," Ash said. "Get ready."

May nodded and hunkered down.

"One. Two."

Sensing that something was up, the Squirtle turned its head toward them. "Squirt?" it said in puzzlement.

"Three!" Ash thrust a finger at the aquatic reptile. "May, use _smokescreen!"_

"YAAAAAAHHHHH!" May screamed as she leapt into the air, her fiery aura appearing around her. Sparks flashed around her shoes, and she thrust her foot into the ground, gouging up the grass. A column of black smoke shot out of her toes right into the stunned Squirtle's face.

"Ack! Squirtle!" it coughed as it tried to wave the smoke away. It inhaled and blasted out a pillar of water from its mouth, but the smokescreen had its intended effect, and its shot went wide.

"Now, leer!" Ash cried.

Taking up a fighter's stance, May's eyes flashed bright, right into the Squirtle's face.

It didn't seem to even notice. Instead, it continued to flail blindly about, waving its stubby little hands in front of itself.

"Uh…" May said, her eyes still glowing.

"Uh…oh!" Ash realized what was wrong. "The sunglasses! Get rid of its sunglasses!"

"Right!" May sprinted in, one hand extended. She seized the sunglasses off the Squirtle's face and tossed them away. The Squirtle rubbed its eyes and stared up at her in bafflement.

"Perfect! Now-"

The Squirtle blasted off another water gun. Right into her face.

"Ah!" May cried, staggering back.

Oh, this was going so badly already. "May, get out of there!" Ash cried. A point-blank hit from water gun had to have taken a significant chunk off of her HP.

May didn't obey. In fact, she didn't seem to have heard him at all. "Why you…" she growled, fists shaking. Her scarlet aura redoubled, and the water dripping down her face evaporated.

The Squirtle inhaled, preparing another water gun.

"May!" Ash screamed.

Then May's eyes flashed red again, and that shrill whine came back. This time, hit with the full force of May's leer, the Squirtle choked, and the remnants of the failed water gun squirted out of its nostrils.

May drew her foot back. "I'M GOING TO KICK YOUR SCALY BUTT ALL THE WAY TO-"

Then _another_ geyser of water shot right past her face, separating her from the Squirtle.

"Huh?"

Both she and Ash turned to look.

There, standing together in the shallows of the lake, were several more Squirtles. They all looked angry. They all were glaring at May. And they all were wearing dark sunglasses.

"Uh-oh," May said. "Um, _Ash?_ The Squirtle's squad just showed up!"

"I saw!" Ash said, just as alarmed as she was. "I don't suppose you can handle this many water-types?"

"Oh, _nooooooo."_

"That's what I thought. Uh, run!"

The two of them fled away from the lake, and all the while the Squirtles angrily clamored after them, shooting jets of water and bubbles in their wake.

…

Letting out a low groan, Misty slumped forward, her face buried in her palms. "How'd you tell?" she mumbled, her voice muffled by her hands.

"It's just something you learn to pick up on," Bill said. He sounded almost proud of his deduction skills. "A sort of shine about the eyes, and a tingle in the air around them. I, of course, have studied dozens of PokeGirls, and can judge whether or not a woman is one just by passing by, even if she is fully clothed."

 _Yeah, I bet you have,_ Misty thought bitterly.

"I'm just surprised to see that you've become one. After all-"

"I know!" May snapped, slapping her palms down on the table.

A moment later she felt something smack against her shin.

"Did you just kick me?" she demanded.

"No," Bill sighed. "That was Abra."

"Huh?" Misty leaned over to look under the table. Bill's Abra was still in the same position, snoozing away.

"It gets annoyed at sudden sounds," Bill explained. "You almost woke it up, hence the kick."

"In its _sleep?"_

Bill just shrugged.

"Well, whatever," Misty sighed. "And I know! I know I'm too young to be a PokeGirl! I know Gym Leaders aren't supposed to be caught unless they really, really want to! But it was an emergency!"

Bill's face softened with concern. "Misty, was it Team Rocket? Are you in trouble?"

"Team Rocket?" Misty laughed. "Nope! Actually, it was another kid, one of the friends I told you about."

There was a long pause, and then Bill said, "Ah, okay."

"But it was an accident!" Misty insisted. "I mean, he did it on purpose, but he didn't want to, and it was only because…"

Realizing that she was speaking too fast and too loudly, Misty cut herself off in mid-sentence. She then took a deep breath and started over, more slowly and concise this time.

She told Bill of the events from the day before, from being chased by Gary (and with special emphasis on how he actually was trying to catch her, and that he had a whole squad of PokeGirls when he wasn't supposed to), to running into Ash in the forest and the ensuing Spearow attack, to trying to save Ash only to be repaid by getting struck by lightning, and to everything Ash told her after she had been let out of her human ball. Well, most of it anyway.

"Ah," Bill said when she had finished. "Well, that's much less awful than I was expecting. Actually, it was quite noble."

"Noble." Misty snickered. "Yeah, I guess he kind of it."

"I assume that's why you were headed for the PokeCenter? To have yourself released?"

"Uh…no. He offered, but I told him I'd rather stay this way for a while."

Another pause. And then Bill said, "Oh. Ah, may I ask why?"

Misty shrugged.

"You…are aware of the, um…" Now Bill was growing visibly uncomfortable. "Well, of course you know, being a Gym Leader and everything, but there is a certain aspect of being a PokeGirl that-"

"The sex stuff?" Misty shot him a look. "Oh, gee Bill. You mean PokeGirls walks around with nothing on and have sex with their trainers a lot? I never noticed!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Bill said with a wince. "Of course you would know. But while I'm not going to assume that this new friend of yours is of that type, it's still an environment you are going to be exposed to. Ah, I mean even more than you already are!"

"So?"

Yet another pause. Then Bill sighed. "You really have been spending a lot of time with Norman Maple's daughter."

Misty couldn't help but smile. "Oh, so it's May's fault now?"

"She cornered me during the same League Summit you and I met at," Bill said, a rather miserable look on his face. "And she wouldn't stop asking me questions about PokeGirls. About their capabilities and their physiology. Of course I was happy to answer them, but then she kept pressing me about their increased libidos, and, well, that was when I pointed out that it sounded like she _wanted_ to become a PokeGirl, and she told me that she did. With, ah, great enthusiasm."

"Yeah, that sounds like her."

"Yes, I heard that you two had been, ah…" Bill faltered.

"What?" Misty pressed, her smile turning into a smirk. "We've been _what,_ Bill?"

"Caught," Bill said at last. "That you two had been _caught_ together. Frequently."

"Caught doing _what,_ Bill?"

Bill's fingers drummed an irritated tattoo on the tabletop. "Do I really have to answer that?"

Misty laughed.

Then Bill frowned. "You do know that she's gone missing, right?"

The laughter stopped. "Huh?"

"Norman's daughter. She's missing."

Oh crap. Oh crap, crap, crap, _crap!_ "Oh, uh, hehe, is she?"

"Hoenn League called Indigo League, and they told Sam, and Sam told me. They were worried that Team Rocket had taken her, either to use as leverage or to sell on the Black Market." Bill's brow knitted together. "I'm surprised that you didn't know, as you are a prominent member of Indigo League, as well as being a close personal friend of hers."

To this, Misty had nothing to say.

"Hmmm." Bill folded his hands together on the tabletop and leaned forward ever so slightly. "Misty, I try to stay out of all the politics and gossip that plagues the Gym Leader scene. It's just so distracting, and not worth the headache. And whatever strange shenanigans you might have gotten yourself into are really none of my business, so long as it's consensual. But this business with Norman's daughter…" He tilted his head, his dark eyes burrowing into Misty's own.

Though she knew that it only made her look more guilty, Misty couldn't help but look away.

This time the silence that lay between them was lengthier, and much more heavy.

"Hmmm," Bill said. He blinked and leaned back. "Well then."

Misty breathed out. "Please don't tell anyone," she said in a small voice.

"You do realize that you just admitted to kidnapping," Bill said. "A crime that, I'll admit, has a _very_ loose definition these days, but given May's age and the status of her father-"

"I didn't kidnap her!" Misty insisted. At Bill's raised eyebrow, she turned indignant. "I didn't! It was her idea! She asked me to!"

"Ah. Well, _that_ I have no trouble believing." Bill shook his head. "Well, a child running away from home with a friend due to family drama is much less worrying than her being kidnapped by a powerful criminal syndicate, and after spending some time with both her and Norman I can understand _why,_ but-"

" _Please,_ please, please, _please!"_ Misty begged, her hands clasped pleadingly in front of her. "May hates it at home! And she's safe now, I promise! And telling on me would only get Ash in trouble, and none of this was his fault, so _please-"_

"All right, all right," Bill said, holding out a hand to get her to stop. "Family drama is no concern of mine, and like I said, so long as it was consensual-"

"It was, I swear. I double-swear. I triple-dipple-fudge-ripple swear."

At this, the corner of Bill's mouth curved up. "Well, far be it from me to besmirch the honor of triple-dipple-fudge-ripple."

Misty sighed with relief. "Thank you, Bill."

"Don't mention. And I mean that literally. I don't want to get in trouble either."

"I won't," Misty promised.

Bill leaned back and sighed. "You really have found yourself in a whirlwind of trouble, haven't you?"

Misty returned the sigh. "Yeah, I kind of have."

"I don't envy you."

"If you did, it'd be really weird." And then Misty got an idea.

"Say, Bill? I know I'm already asking a lot from you, but…can you help me with a _huge_ favor?"

Bill's eyes narrowed. "It's something I'll probably come to regret, isn't it?"

"Probably."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me at all. Go on."

…

"Okay," Ash panted as he and May regrouped back at their camp. "We need to rethink this." He slumped down on one of the logs and put his head in his hands.

"Yeah, _that_ could have gone better," May muttered as she unscrewed a potion's lid and sprayed it into her face. "Ash, you have just the worst luck."

Ash wasn't arguing. It did seem liked everything that would be so simple and mundane to anyone else ended up going horribly wrong for him.

"Right, let's set some ground rules," he said. "First, no more water-types."

"Probably a smart idea."

"No bug types."

"Also smart."

"Nothing that hunts in packs, swarms, or flocks."

"Learned your lesson with that one."

"We _avoid_ launching any Pokemon into the stratosphere."

May sighed. "You're just not going to let that go, are you?"

"And if we hear any weird noises coming from the shadows, we leave them _alone."_

"Check, check, check!" May leaned forward. "So, ready to take another shot."

Ash held up a hand to signal for her to wait as he unscrewed the lid of a metal water bottle and gulped it down. Once it had been drained dry, he sighed in satisfaction, wiped his mouth, and screwed the lid back on. "All right," he said, pumping his fist. "Let's go!"

The two of them headed out once again, this time staying away from the trees and lake and sticking to the open grasslands. Ash once again kept his eyes peeled and his ears opened. Sooner or later they would find something worth trying for, a worthy candidate for his first Pokemon, something that would form the foundation of his team and become his lifelong companion, just as soon as May beat it senseless.

There! Movement! Rustling in the grass, it was…it was a Pidgey…no two Pidgeys. No, three. Okay, it was a whole flock. While Pidgeys were much less aggressive than Spearows, Ash decided not to chance his luck and let them be.

Moving on, they headed down the hill. Before them the grassy field got even wider. Okay, there had to be something here, something he could-

Wait.

Wait, wait, wait.

Ash held up his arm, signaling for them to stop. May crept up beside him and looked that Ash was pointing to.

There, nuzzling around in a bed of wildflowers, was a Pokemon. Its body was too obscured to really make it out, but it was small, it seemed to be hopping around on four legs, and it was purple.

A Ratata? After all their issues with that Raticate the night before, Ash wasn't in much a hurry to acquire one of his own, but beggars couldn't be choosers.

Then the creature emerged fully, it tiny mouth chewing and its cheeks full of clover, and Ash's heart leapt.

It was _not_ a Ratata, but instead was a Pokemon half again as big as one, with long, backswept ears; a hunched back; and a loose collection of spines.

It was a Nidoran, a young male member of the Nido family! Ash immediately mentally reviewed everything he remembered learning about their species. Poison-typed, with a three-stage evolutionary line that resulted in double-typing into ground. A fairly deep movepool, a good balance of strength and defense, and decent bulk.

Yes.

Yes, this would do nicely.

"May, I think we've found the perfect Pokemon," Ash said.

" _Nice,"_ she said, licking her lips in a _very_ distracting way. Ash blinked, and then shook his head. No, not even that would get in the way now.

"So, you know what that is, right?" he asked.

"Uh, I _think_ so." May rubbed her chin and frowned. "Nido…Nido…rina?"

"Nidoran," Ash corrected. "Nidorina is the second-tier evolution for females. That's a first-tier male."

"Huh, that's right. They're the ones where the males and females have separate evolutionary lines, right? And they're…uh…"

"Poison-typed," Ash said. "They're actually kind of unique in that they're not cross-typed into bug or grass, nor are they toxic to the touch like Koffing or Grimer. The closest equivalent in Kanto is Ekans, and those are cold-blooded reptiles, while Nidoran is warm-blooded, so it kind of stands alone." His hands were starting to shake with excitement.

"Wow," May said, blinking. "You really like Pokemon facts."

"Well, yeah? Don't you?" Then, without waiting for an answer, Ash turned his attention back to the Nidoran, which was still contently munching on clover. "Okay, no type disadvantage here, but watch the spines, they're poisonous. And watch the legs too! I know they don't look like much, but Nidoran are really agile for their size, and can pack a mean kick!"

"Got it!" May clenched both fists, and her blazing aura flared up. Ash could _feel_ the heat radiating off of her. "Well? Care to have the honors?"

Grinning, Ash flicked the brim of his cap back. "May!" he called, sweeping his arm out. "I choose _you!"_

…

When Misty had been appointed Cerulean City's official Gym Leader, she had considered it the highest of honors, an accolade that only an elite few ever achieve, something that trainers work their whole lives to attain but very few ever do.

Time had whittled away at her pride, and she had come to understand that while yes, she was in a very lofty position, it did prevent her from having the full Pokemon trainer experience, which in turn denied her certain thrills that most trainers got to enjoy regularly.

Flying was one of the biggest.

"WHOOOOOOOOOOO!" she whooped as Bill's Dragonite sailed into the air. It was a rush unlike any she had ever experienced, not from rollercoasters, not from surfing, not even that one time May had strong-armed her into bungee-jumping. Her stomach was now in her throat and full of shivers, and she was simultaneously terrified and ecstatic and loved it!

"It's fun, isn't it?" Bill called back to her. Misty was seated directly behind him with her arms around her waist, but with the wind rushing past their ears he still needed to raise his voice to be heard.

"It's the _best!"_

"You know, I'm honestly surprised you don't have any flying Pokemon of your own, if for no other reason than to get around."

"Never had time! Even when I'm on vacation I always had to focus on finding more water-types for the gym!"

"You know, there are water-types who are dual-typed into flying. Gyrados, for example, is capable of-"

"Oh, no," Misty said. "Oh _no!_ I'm not going anywhere near a Gyrados. That is _not_ happening!"

Bill shot her an odd look over his shoulder, but then he just shrugged. "Suit yourself," he said, and gave his Dragonite's reins a flick.

Immediately Misty's stomach dropped as the Dragonite soared higher, past the clouds, and into the sunny sky. "YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed in joy.

There were few clouds in the sky that day, so Misty got to enjoy the view of the countryside passing beneath her. Everything looked so small! From the tiny little houses to the trees like blades of grass to the people who were little more than scurrying dots!

 _Oh, I should have checked that my shoelaces are tight,_ she found herself thinking. She angled her toes upward, just in case.

Then she saw something pass beneath them. "Oh, look! It's the gym!"

Despite everything she had learned, it was a pretty pleasant building, with a wide marble porch decorate with white columns, a pale orange façade with an asymmetrical roof, and a tinkling fountain sandwiched between two staircases leading down to the sidewalk. Shame it saw so little use.

"That's it, all right," Bill said. "The most elusive badge of the set!"

Sure enough, there was a small number of trainers gathered outside the door, reading the sign and looking kind of ticked out. Misty supposed that they hadn't bothered to find out about the local Gym Leader's eccentric availability. She made a mental note that, in the case of a return trip, to make sure Ash had a space booked.

And then they were gone, passing outside of Viridian City and into the wilds, or as wild as the area around a major city could be. Still, the surrounding forests and fields were left mostly undeveloped. That was one of the great things about living in Kanto: training was such a big part of the cultural that the wild country was fiercely protected. Woe be upon the hapless land developer who tries to build up an apartment building only to discover that they had bulldozed an Oddish nest.

They passed over grassy fields and green forests. Occasionally Misty saw tiny people wandering aimlessly below, no doubt rookie trainers looking to bolster their teams. And, to her amusement, she also caught a glimpse of what was assuredly a more veteran trainer spending, well, "quality time" with his PokeGirls. It really did astound her how bold so many of them got once they had some experience under their belts.

Then again, she was friends with May. And she supposed that in time, she might be doing the same with Ash.

The very thought sent even more nervous thrills through her stomach that had nothing to do with vertigo.

The Dragonite lighted down on the outskirts of the field where Misty and her friends had set up camp. Bill easily hopped off, as if he hadn't just been swooping at nearly terminal velocity. He reached up and took Misty by the waist to help her down.

As soon as Misty's feet touched grass her knees buckled, and she fell back against the Dragonite's side. "Whoa," she said as she struggled to reorient her sense of balance, which was currently going absolutely haywire. "How do trainers do this every day?"

"You just get used to it," Bill said as he brought down the supplies he helped her buy. "My first time I couldn't stop throwing up for about half an hour afterward. Now I barely even notice."

"I don't think I'll ever get used to this." Feeling that she had recovered enough, Misty took a few practice steps. She wobbled a bit but was able to stay upright. "Hey, thanks again for everything."

"Please do not mention it. And I'm not being polite. This could land me in a lot of trouble."

"Understood. Hey, you want to stop by for a bit? Say hi to the crew?"

A pained look passed across Bill's face. "Ah. The offer is appreciated, but I must decline."

Misty grinned. "Don't want to deal with May again, huh?"

"That girl is not sane." Bill stuck out his hand. "Best of luck to you and your friends, Miss Waterflower."

Ignoring the hand, Misty stood up on tiptoes to kiss Bill's smooth cheek. "Thank you, Bill."

Bill blinked in surprise. Then he smiled. "Well then." He then grabbed onto the Dragonite's saddled and pulled himself up. "Remember, when you reach Pewter city-"

"I remember!"

"Okay, but the email is-"

Misty waved a scrap of paper. "Got it all right here! Don't worry."

"A little too late for that, I'm afraid. I'll also let you know if I learn anything about Nurse Joy's situation." He nodded at her one last time and nudged the Dragonite with his heels. It… _wumped,_ for lack of a better word and took off.

Misty waved as Bill circled around once, twice, and then three times overhead before heading off to the horizon. Then, humming to herself, she busied herself with getting everything put away while she waited for her friends to return.

She didn't have to wait long. Soon she heard them laughing and talking excitedly as they approached the camp. Well, it looked like they had made fast friends, which was good.

Then Misty frowned. Oh, May better not have taken Ash's virginity already.

"Hey, she's back!" she heard May call. Moments later her friend came running up to her, so Misty rose to greet her.

"Misty!" May greeted her in her customary fashion, which was to hurl her entire body at Misty and wrap all four limbs around her. Expecting it, Misty was able to brace herself and catch her without being knocked over.

"Mwah!" May gave Misty a big, fat, wet kiss on the lips. "There you are! What took you so long?"

"Sorry, I had a lot of errands to run. Hope you guys didn't get bored without me." Then Misty lowered her voice down an octave. "And I hope you haven't forgotten our deal."

"Aw, don't worry!" May hopped out of Misty's hands and slapped her shoulder. "I just humped him a little."

"I…you did what?"

"To wake him up! Don't worry, nothing went into anything, you still have dibs."

Misty scowled. "You were naked at the time, weren't you?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Anyway! Guess what we did after?"

By then Ash had caught up to them. Sure enough, he seemed as excited as May, so clearly something had happened.

"Hey! Hey, Misty!" he called, waving his hand around. "You'll never guess what happened!"

Well, that ruled out sexy stuff. If May had indeed taken what wasn't hers, Ash would probably be comatose.

"Uh, you got attacked by Team Rocket and drove them off?"

May giggled. "Nope! But that would be fun."

"You…ran into…no, it wouldn't be Gary."

"I wish," Ash sighed.

Misty rolled her wrist. "Well, go ahead. What happened?"

In answer, Ash tossed a shrunk-down pokeball into the air. He spun around, caught in, expanded it in mid-spin, and thrust it out to her. "Ha!"

Misty grinned. "Oh, you caught a Pokemon!" She held up her hand for a high five. "Great job!"

Ash gleefully clapped Misty's hand with her own. "Thanks! It was a lot harder than I thought it would be!"

"Why, you didn't set another Spearow flock after you, did you?"

"No, but first May kicked a Cubone into next week, we _almost_ got a Beedrill swarm coming after us, we surprised this guy having sex with his PokeGirl and he didn't like that, and we tried to catch a Squirtle but it had a lot of angry friends, so we ran away."

Misty blinked. "Uh, so, you've…been busy."

"I'm telling you, this guy has such bad luck, it's almost impressive." May suddenly wrapped her arm around Ash's neck and yanked him in. Flicking his cap off, she rubbed her knuckles into his skull. "But it worked out in the end!"

"Hey, get off me!" Ash shoved her away and winced as he touched the spot where May's knuckles had gone.

"Um, okay," Misty said. She really hoped this supposed "bad luck" wasn't going to be a regular thing while traveling with him. "So…what kind of Pokemon did you catch?" Then, in a smaller voice, she added, "Please tell me it's not a bug type."

"Nope!" Ash drew his hand back like a baseball pitcher and hurled the pokeball. "Nidoran, I choose _you!"_

The pokeball popped open, and out came the red energies of his new Pokemon. They collected into a small, four-legged created with a purple body, large ears, and spines up and down its back. "Nidoran!" it called.

Misty was ecstatic. "Oh, _hey!"_ she gushed. "That's a great catch! And it's so _cute!"_ She knelt down in front of the little critter and held out her hand. It apprehensively sniffed her palm and, judging her to be trustworthy, stuck its head beneath her hand, demanding to be pet.

"Oh, you are just adorable," Misty cooed as she gently ran her hand over its ears while she scratched under its chin. Nidoran rumbled with pleasure.

May nudged Ash with her elbow. "I think she likes it."

"How can I not?" Misty said, now moving to scratch its belly. "Such a sweet little-"

Right then, in response to her scratching, Nidoran arched its back. Unfortunately, this caused one of its many spines to jab into Misty's hand, and she immediately felt severe chills sweep through her body.

"Misty!" May cried as Misty curled into a ball and started shaking.

"Anti…" Misty coughed.

"Oh no, she's been poisoned!" Ash added, and quite unnecessarily at that. Nidoran froze, and then darted over behind Ash's legs.

"Anti…" Misty gargled.

"Misty, speak to me!" May lifted Misty's upper body into her lap and cradled her head. "You can't let this beat you! Stay strong, stay brave, and if you see a long dark tunnel, stay away from the light!"

Then she noticed that, despite her face turning a very unhealthy shade of purple, Misty was looking quite disgruntled.

Thrusting a shaking finger at one of the bags of supplies, Misty forced out, _"Antidote!"_

"Uh…right!" Ash hurried over to the bag. "Just sit tight, I'll get it."

"Uh, sorry," May said, sheepishly opening her shirt collar. "I guess you would think to stock up on those."

Misty sighed.

"Oh, hey, she got us burgers!" Ash exclaimed.

…

Later, after Misty had been thoroughly cleansed of the poisons that had swept through her veins, everyone gathered around the campsite so they could eat dinner and compare notes.

"Wow," May said between bites of French Fries. "They _brainwashed_ her? Just like that?"

"That's what it looked like," Misty sighed. "Bill says it's common whenever Team Rocket don't want people to talk."

"That's awful!" Ash exclaimed.

"Yeah," May said. "But honestly, considering what could have happened to her, it's a lot better than what I was expecting."

Ash looked stricken. "How can you say that? After everything we went through together."

May sighed. "Ash, I get it, I'm worried about her too. But look: she could have been caught and sold on the black market. And that's way worse than just having your memory wiped and being set loose."

"It's still awful! We can't just leave her there!"

Misty shook her head. "Ash. Look, you want to help her, I get that. But if we go after her, then that'll mean Team Rocket will just take her again, maybe this time for good. Besides, it's probably us that they want, not her. The best thing we can do for her is get as far away from her as possible."

Ash blinked. "You mean they'll probably still come after us?"

"We did kind of embarrass them," May pointed out. "Which was _awesome,_ by the way!"

"But…But we're just kids!"

"You think that'll stop them?" Misty shook her head. "Ash, this is Team Rocket. They're _dangerous!"_

"Well, I'm not scared! And I don't want to just leave Nurse Joy to those jerks!"

Misty couldn't help but smile a little. Sure, his stubbornness was a little annoying, but she completely understood how he felt. After all, plenty of people would have told her to just fold up and abandon her gym the first time Team Rocket had come calling, and instead she had knuckled down and refused to budge.

But this situation was sort of different. For one, it wasn't just him and his pride; it was all three of them, four counting Nidoran. For another, sticking around might actually endanger the person they were trying to help.

"I hear you," Misty said. "But think of it like this: Bill's on his way to the Indigo League headquarters right now, and he promised to do whatever he could to save her. But if Team Rocket is looking for us, going back to her will just make them go after her again. At least right now they're letting her go."

Ash frowned. It was clear that though he did see the truth of her words, he still hated the thought of leaving Nurse Joy behind. And honestly, Misty liked that about him. It was clear that while Ash was many things, a coward was not one of them.

"You think we can trust Bill though?" May asked. "I mean, if those Rocket punks are so well-connected, who's to say he's not one of them?"

Misty shot her a look. "I think the fact that he helped me buy supplies and got me out of there before anyone saw me is a point in his favor."

"Yeah, but what if they vanish him too?" Ash wanted to know.

"Ah, he'll be fine," Misty said with a dismissive wave. "Bill's a smart guy. If anyone can figure out what to do, it's him."

Ash's frown only deepened. "How do you know this guy anyway? I mean, I've never even heard of him!"

Misty opened her mouth to answer, only to freeze in place when she realized that there was no explanation that wouldn't give away her status as a Gym Leader. _Oops!_

"Uh, Misty?" Ash said. "Are you okay?"

Oh, crap, crap, _crap!_ Misty tried to come up with an acceptable response, but unfortunately her mind had suddenly locked up with the biggest of brainfarts. She shot a pleading looking to May, silently begging her to cover for her.

Fortunately, while May might be a horny lunatic most of the time, she wasn't an idiot. "Through my dad!" she chimed in.

"Your dad?" Ash said, scratching his head. "You mean, the one you ran away from?"

"Yeah, he works as a coordinator for Hoenn League, and would drag me along to these boring cross-promotional fundraiser events all the time. Fortunately, he let me bring Misty along, so that's where we met Bill!"

"Um…yeah!" Misty said with what she hoped was a disarming laugh. "The fundraisers. Y-Yeah, they were _super_ boring, and Bill was the only grown-up that was fun to talk to. So that's how we met!"

"Oh. Uh, okay." Ash shrugged and went back to his French fries. "Well, if you trust him…"

Sighing, Misty glanced at May and nodded her thanks. May winked back at her in return.

The three of them ate in silence for a bit, Misty a little shaken by her own carelessness. Ash was looking at her a little oddly, but fortunately did not press the matter.

"So…what's the plan now?" May said at last.

"Pretty much the same," Misty said with a shrug. "Head to Pewter City. Work on getting Ash his first badge."

"Really?" Ash perked up at that.

"Really, really!" Grinning, Misty leaned over with one hand balled up on her hip and the other draped over her bare leg. "It's like I told you: I'm going to make sure that you take Indigo League this year, and to do that, you're going to need badges! The Gym in Viridian City isn't even open right now, so Pewter City's the logical next step!"

"Yeah," Ash said, nodding. He grinned in return. "Yeah! And besides, if Team Rocket does start looking for us, then I'd like to see them try to find us in Viridian Forest!"

Misty's smile wavered a little. Oh, right. Viridian Forest. They had to go through _that._

As part of her shopping trip, Misty had stocked up on a lot of bug repellant. Hopefully it would last.

"Uh, right. Sure." Misty coughed. "Anyway! On the way there I'll show you the ins and outs of Pokemon training, and we'll work on growing your team!" _So long as you don't go catching any bugs,_ she thought. She motioned to Nidoran. "You're off to a great start with that cute little guy, but you're going to need variety in order to win!"

At being mentioned, Nidoran's ears pricked up. It looked from Misty's smiling face to Ash's, and sighed, likely relieved that Misty wasn't holding a grudge.

"Sounds great! In fact…" Ash scratched Nidoran behind the ears. "There's still plenty of day left, so you and I ought to get to know one another! Whaddya say?"

Ash's new Pokemon happily hopped up and down. "Nidoran!"

…

On the whole, the day had been far and above a much better day than the one previous, as evidenced not only by nobody being assaulted or even hurt beyond a handful of Pokemon mishaps, but also they managed to have a proper dinner at a respectable time, before the sun had even gone down.

After dinner had been finished up and everything cleaned up, Ash took Nidoran to the nearby field to play, and Misty sat down on a boulder to watch the two of them as they raced around through the grass, pausing to mock-wrestle one another.

It was incredibly adorable. Gone was all of the timidity, awkwardness, and bashfulness that Misty had come to associate with Ash. Now all she saw was pure joy, a young boy spending time with his new friend. It reminded her when she had first gotten her first Pokemon, the Staryu that was now her Starmie, and all she ever wanted to do was spend as much time possible cuddling and admiring it.

However, it seemed to Misty's experienced eyes that there was a method to Ash's actions. Sure, he was chasing Nidoran around and being chased in return, and the two of them would roll around at times, but she noted how closely Ash was watching Nidoran while running, or that Nidoran never "attacked" the same way twice when they were wrestling. In fact, it seemed that Ash was instructing it to try different things, such as knocking him off his feet or trying to bite his ear.

 _Clever,_ Misty thought in admiration. Not only was Ash establishing a rapport, but he was also learning what his new Pokemon was capable of, taking note of what moves it was proficient in and studying the areas that it needed to improve in.

It seemed that May had been correct in her assessment. Sure, Ash might be totally helpless around girls, but he did have a real knack for Pokemon training. She felt much better about their arrangement.

She _felt_ May's presence before she heard her, just a slight pleasurable shiver down her back that told her that her best friend and only PokeGirl was coming. Moments later May was sitting on her knees behind Misty, draping her arms around Misty's shoulders and resting her head next to Misty's cheek.

"They're so cute, aren't they?" May said, pressing her warm cheek to Misty's.

"They sure are," Misty agree as she reached up to cradle May's head. "You were right. That boy was born to be a Pokemon trainer."

"Of course I was. For a rookie, he's actually really good at putting together strategies and thinking on the fly. Even if his luck is the _worst_ and he forgets important things sometimes." May leaned in, nuzzling their cheeks together. "But that's why he has you to teach him now!"

"Darn right. He better be grateful."

The pair watched Ash and Nidoran for a bit longer. Then Misty sighed. "You know, I'm going to do it."

"Hmmm? Do what?"

"Screw him."

May let out a bark of surprised laughter. "What, already?"

"Already," Misty said with a nod. "Tonight, actually. Right after you teach me how to use my powers."

"Wow, you're really moving super-fast there. I mean, you just met him yesterday."

Misty rolled her eyes. _"You_ woke him up this morning by humping him," she said as her fingers idly kneaded the muscles of May's neck. "While naked!"

"Yeah, but that's me," May murmured, planting small kisses where Misty's neck met her shoulder. "Besides, I thought you were all weird and nervous about this?"

"Yeah, but…" Misty sighed. "I mean, I am his PokeGirl, and we all know what that means. This is going to happen sooner or later. Why not make it sooner? You know, get it out of the way."

"Mmmm-hmmm." May reached down to grab Misty's smooth chest. "Sure. You make it sound so unpleasant."

"Well, I didn't say it was!"

May pinched Misty's nipple through the fabric of her yellow tanktop. "Admit it. You got a thing for him, and you really want to see Ash naked."

A hint of color touched Misty's cheeks, partially because of the sensual thrills that May's fondling was sending through her, but mostly because of how May had said the words "Ash" and naked" in sequence.

"What? No!" Misty said with a painfully fake laugh. "I mean, sure, he's really cute, and he's got a good heart, and okay, his awkwardness is really charming, but…" Realizing that she wasn't helping her case at all, Misty just stopped and sighed.

"Do it," May murmured in a throaty voice, slipping her other hand down to run her fingers over Misty's bare midriff. She nuzzled her face into Misty's neck and shoulder, kissing her way down. "Picture him naked. Right now."

This time, the flurry in Misty's stomach had little to do with May's administrations. "Um, n-now?"

"Now."

Though it was very hard to concentrate on anything whenever May was running her hands over Misty's body, Misty tried to comply. She looked over to Ash, who was trying to teach Nidoran how to roll forward, though the lesson wasn't going well, as Ash's own somersaults to demonstrate were awkward, clumsy things that were sending Nidoran into hysterics.

Okay. Just picture the guy naked. That should be easy. Misty had seen lots of naked guys before. Granted, she had never really wanted to and each and every time always filled her with indignation and disgust, but she at least had a good idea of the anatomy.

Closing her eyes and doing her best to block out the feel of May's fingers as they groped and caressed, Misty called up a picture of Ash in her mental space, that shy, grinning dork that was equal parts flustered earnestness and confident enthusiasm. She picture him as she knew him, from his cap pulled down over his spiky black hair, to his big bright brown eyes, which were always shining with excitement, and his little button nose, to his crooked smile and friendly demeanor. She picture him in his outfit, with the blue-and-white jacket, pale blue jeans, red-and-white cap, green fingerless gloves, and black-and-white sneakers.

Despite how weird the experiment made her feel, Misty couldn't help but smile a little at the mental picture. There was no getting around it; Ash was _cute._

Okay, time to the next step, though the thought of it was really making her insides squirm, but in a very good way. Holding onto that mental image, Misty removed the clothes.

It…wasn't pleasant. In fact it was a real turnoff.

In her mind's eye, Ash was still standing there, but now his smile was more of an aggressive, almost leering grin. His physique was impressive, from rippling abs to bulging pecs to strong muscle definition in his arms, and his cock was long and hard. He had his fists bunched up on his hips, which were thrust forward, almost daring her touch.

Her eyes still closed, Misty made a face. Yeah, that wasn't appealing at all.

May sighed and sat back, removing her hands. "Okay, no. Not like that," she said.

"Not like what?" Misty replied. "Are you reading my mind now?"

"No, but I know you, and you're pretty much sticking Ash's head onto one of those douchebag trainers that always give you a hard time at your Gym, aren't you?"

Well, she wasn't wrong. It was true that Misty had trainers more than twice her age often dropping their pants and waggling their erections around in an attempt to intimidate her, to say nothing of those she had walked in on her sisters screwing. And okay, even when she was hanging out with male swimmers who were actually nice and respectful just by course of her job, they still tended to be pretty cut and athletic, so it was just the body type she was used to seeing.

"Thought so," May said. She placed her hands on Misty's shoulders and slowly started massaging the muscles, digging her fingers in where she knew Misty liked to be touched. "Do it right. Think of what he'd _really_ look like."

Okay then. Misty looked back to Ash to reform her mental image of his. Then she closed her eyes and tried again.

This time, instead of stripping him down all at once, she tried removing one article of clothing at a time. First to go was the hat. She had seen him without it a few times already, so it was an easy thing to imagine.

Next was the jacket. Okay, he usually wore it open, so she knew what his shirt looked like at least. As for the gloves, well, hands were hands, so that also gave her no trouble.

But before she continued, May turned her attention back to his face. Right about now, Ash would be blushing like crazy, probably averting his eyes in embarrassment while she stripped him, so she put in those little touches.

She liked them. She liked them a lot.

Licking her lips, Misty went on to the next part, the hard part: removing his shirt. This time, instead of simply mentally erasing it, she had her imaginary Ash take it off himself, pulling it up over his head, exposing his torso little by little while he did so.

 _Okay, so he's my age, so he probably isn't really ripped or anything,_ she thought. Sure, he looked like he spent a lot of time outside, but he still probably had some baby fat, making him, well, not chubby, but a little on the soft side, maybe with just a little bit of a belly, and his chest was probably still just as smooth as hers was.

The image she came up with was a lot less traditionally attractive than it had been, and not in the least bit sexy, but to her it was ever so much more appealing.

"Well, I'm hearing your breath stutter a bit," May teased. "And I'm not even touching anything naughty. You like what you see, yes?"

"Sh-Shut up," Misty muttered. "You're distracting me."

May fell silent, and Misty renewed her focus. She was going to need it for the next part.

Her imaginary Ash slowly undid his belt buckle with trembling hands, his pink face looking down as he swallowed nervously. Once the belt was undone, he struggled to undo the button of his pants and hastily lowered the zipper.

As her imaginary Ash stuck his hands into his pants' waist to lower them, Misty suddenly stopped. "Wait," she said, her eyes still closed so as to keep the image. "Do you think he goes with briefs or boxers?"

There was a pause, and then May said, "Who knows? But make it briefs."

"R-Right," Misty said. She took in a deep, trembling breath. "Okay. Here goes."

Down came the pants, leaving Ash with nothing but a small pair of simple white briefs to cover his groin. And while Misty had not actually seen him naked yet, she did know the shape of his bulge, and it was on full display here, straining against the thin material.

Her little perverted fantasy was really starting to work Misty up, so just to make it a little bit silly, she added herself, picturing herself wearing a bikini and reclining on a lawn chair beneath an umbrella, sipping an expensive, colorful drink while enjoying her own private little striptease. Her imaginary self dipped the sunglasses she was wearing so as to fully appreciate the sight of Ash's nearly naked body. Then she indicated for him to continue.

Ash winced, but he nodded. His thumbs went into the elastic waistband, and down came his underwear. He immediately covered his crotch with both hands, but when the imaginary Misty shook her head in disapproval, he winced and reluctantly removed his hands.

Misty had to actually pause here to get the penis right. It probably was not the long, veiny rod that her imagination made it out to be. Sure, it would be erect, but he was, like herself, still a kid, so it would be smaller than what she was used to seeing, his genitals just as pink and hairless as hers and May's. His sex was that of a child's, after all, as smooth and inexperienced as the rest of him.

Now fully nude, her imaginary Ash fidgeted nervously, unsure of what to do with his hands. He instinctively moved to again cover his erection twice, remembered that he wasn't supposed to do that, and settled for putting them behind his back as he anxiously rose up and down on his toes. Then, just for added effect, Misty gave him his hat, gloves, shoes, and socks back, and took in the whole sight.

Oh.

_Woof._

The imaginary Misty was openly leering, but the real one was getting as flustered as Ash would be in that situation. Her heart was thumping in her chest, her skin trilling with the need to touch and be touched in turn. A familiar fire was smoldering away in her sex, only now with the added fuel of this new, exciting path she was about to blaze, and she found her hand creeping over her thighs, towards the waistline of her shorts.

Then May caught her by the wrist. "Uh-uh," she said. "Save it for the main event."

"You're a jerk sometimes, you know that?" Misty said crossly.

May laughed. "Still, it looks like you got it right. Like what you see?"

Sweat trickling down her brow, Misty gulped and nodded.

"So you still want to pull it off tonight?"

"Yes," Misty breathed. "Oh, heck yes."

"Good! Okay, here's what we'll do. We'll take him down to the lake, say that it's going to be your first time using your new PokeGirl powers."

Misty nodded. Okay, using water-type abilities in a lake made perfect sense.

"And once we're all there, we'll _both_ get naked."

"What?" Misty's back went stiff. "Why both of us?"

"To get him into the mood, silly!"

Misty sighed. "May, he could be looking at us with clothes on and he'll get into the mood. He could be looking at a _tree_ and he'll be in the mood."

"So it'll be a special treat. Come on, after all the teasing we've put him through, he deserves a little something."

"Uh-huh," Misty said. "And me literally sleeping with him doesn't count?"

"Consider it the warmup act, then!"

"You just want to get naked for any reason, don't you?"

Giggling, May scooched around on her knees to dramatically lay herself across Misty's lap. "And this is a great reason!"

Folding her arms, Misty shot her a look.

"Oh, don't give me that." May reached up to nudge Misty's cheek with her fingers. "Come on, it'll be great! We'll get him all worked up with our striptease, then I'll show you how to use your PokeGirl powers, shoot off a water gun or two, get you all nice and _wet,_ and then you can take Ash and rock him until his legs stop working, what do you say?"

Still glowering in suspicion, Misty said, "You're going to be watching us, aren't you?"

"Well…"

"No, May!"

"Oh, why not? You know I'm going to be in on that action sooner or later anyway."

"Yeah, but I also know that you're going to be making your dumb jokes and comments the whole time. Besides, this'll be my first time with a boy, and his first time, period! It's going to be weird and awkward enough without _you_ making things worst!"

"Fine, fine," May sighed, holding up her palms. "I'll go spend the night by myself, then."

"Yes, you will."

"Alone."

"Uh-huh."

"All alone. Separated from my friends. Vulnerable. Defenseless." May dramatically pressed her wrist to her forehead as she went limp over Misty's knees. "Who knows what dangers lurk out in these wilds? Why, anything can creep up on me and carry me off, just so my best friend can-"

Misty flicked May's nose. "Knock it off. You can literally breathe fire. You'll be fine."

"Ah!" May thrust up a finger. "Correction! While I _can,_ I _don't,_ because the one time I tried, I was coughing for the rest of the day and had just the _worst_ sore throat."

"Hands, then. Feet. My point is, you'll be fine."

May thoughtfully tapped her lower lip. "Can I listen?"

"Why, so you can masturbate to it?"

"Um, duh? Why else would I? To lull myself to sleep with all of Ash's nervous squeaking?"

Misty giggled. She had to admit, what she had just decided was going to be weird, awkward, and probably incredibly embarrassing, May just had a way of taking awkward situations and making them funny. "Okay, but keep your distance, and please, please, _please_ don't make any noise!"

"Bleh." May grimaced and stuck out her tongue. "That just takes all the fun out of it."

"I mean don't say anything, because I know you'll be wanting to run color commentary over everything! You can moan, but, you know, just keep it _down!"_

May saluted. "Aye, aye, captain!" Then, before Misty realized what she was doing, May had kipped up right off of Misty's knees to her feet.

Cupping her hands around her mouth, May called, "Hey, _Ash!_ Come here, okay?"

Misty froze. "Wait, we're doing this _now?"_

May shot her a sidelong smirk. "No point in putting it off, remember."

Misty blinked. Then she gulped. Okay, this was happening then.

Ash and Nidoran came jogging up to the pair of PokeGirls. "What happened?" he said, looking a little nervous. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" May reassured him. "But Misty and I were going down to the lake so I could show her how to use her new PokeGirl powers, and we wanted to know if you two wanted to _come_ watch!"

Though it obviously flew over Ash's head, Misty noted the particular salacious way May had said the word "come."

"Really! Sure, that sounds great!" Ash said enthusiastically. He glanced down at Misty and shot her a wink and a thumb's up. "I'm sure you'll do great!"

 _Wow, this is really happening,_ Misty thought numbly. _I'm really about to have sex with this dork._

"Uh, thanks!" she said with a nervous laugh. "I hope it goes well too!"

Then May grabbed Misty by the bicep and pulled her to her feet. "Come on, let's go, let's go!" she said, shoving both Misty and Ash along. "This is a really big moment for Misty, so let's not waste it!"

"Got it!" Ash looked over his shoulder at Nidoran, who was watching its new human companions interact with a look of mild puzzlement. "Come on, Nidoran! Misty's going to use her first water gun!"

 _Oh, why did he have to say it like that?_ Misty thought as the three of them made their way down the hill towards the lake. _Why did he have to say it like that?_

…

Returning to the lake didn't take long, and fortunately there was no sign of the Squirtles.

"Here we are!" May declared, sticking her hands on her hips. "Time to get down to business!"

"Business," Misty said as she nervously scratched the back of her neck. "Yeah. Sure."

"Aw, cheer up!" Ash said, patting her on the back. "I told you, you got this!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Uh, thanks. I think." She then walked away from them to the shores of the lake.

Frowning, Ash leaned in closer to May. "What's with her?" he muttered. "Why is she so nervous?"

May smirked. "Because of you, silly! She's nervous about, ah, _performing_ in front of you!"

"Me? Why?"

"Well, you're her trainer for one. So naturally, she's going to be a great big ball of nerves when it comes to showing off what she can do for the first time."

Really? Well, she didn't have to be scared for him. "Don't worry, Misty!" he called. "I believe in you!"

Misty, who had reached the shore, visibly sighed.

"Anyway, I need to coach her along." May gave Ash a slight push. "Go sit over there, and…enjoy the show!"

"Okay," Ash did as he was told and sat down, with Nidoran hunkered down next to him. He glanced back to May. "That sounds fair, and…" Then his eyes bugged out. "Uh…May? Wh-What are you doing?"

May had already unzipped her shirt and let it fall open, revealing the stretch of skin from her navel all the way up between her breasts to her collarbone. "Oh, just getting ready," she said as she grabbed her shirt's edges and pulled it open. A little shake of the shoulders, and the shirt slid down her arms to land in the grass.

"I mean, since she's a water-type and all, I figured that since this is her first time, things are bound to get wet!" May continued as she stuck her fingers into her skirt's waistline and pushed down, taking both it and her tight little bike shorts down in one swift movement. Now as naked as she had been the first time Ash had produced her from her human ball, her white teeth flashed as her lips parted in a now-familiar sultry smirk. Planting one hand on her hip, she leaned her torso to one side, keeping the emphasis on her boobs. Picking up her skirt with her other hand, she idly twirled it around on one finger.

Though Ash had seen May naked plenty of times over the last couple of days, he still wasn't used to the sight, and to be truthful he kind of hoped that he was never going to get used to it. Certainly not being in a life-or-death situation made it easier to appreciate just how pretty she was, or her lack of shame in showing it off.

"Um, h-hey," he said as he came to a sudden stop. He was already sweaty from running around with Nidoran, but he felt fresh beads form on his forehead, so he tugged at his collar with one finger to get some ventilation going. "Is that, uh, is that really-"

May stretched the elastic waistline of her skirt between two fingers and shot it right at Ash like a rubber band. Her aim was perfect, and he was so transfixed that it bounced right off his nose.

"Whoa!" He hopped back in surprise. "Hey, what was that for?"

May just laughed. "Oh, come on, champ! You were so totally hypnotized that I couldn't help myself!"

Now equally aroused and annoyed, Ash grumbled to himself as he folded his arms and looked away. Okay, so hanging out with a cute girl who liked to get naked had a lot of benefits, but that didn't mean she got to mess with him so much.

Nidoran, who was sitting on its haunches by his feet, tilted its head and frowned, obviously perplexed by the strange behavior of its new human friends. "Nidoran?" it said quizzically.

Ash sighed. "Oh, she's just…she's just like that," he said. "You might as well get used to it."

"You first, champ!" May called to him.

Ash gritted his teeth. "Well, Nidoran can't get turned on by you, so it's different!"

"Aw, are you saying I turn you on?"

"Of course you do!" Ash glanced over to May, found her leaning over with her hands cupping her breasts, and hastily looked away again. "It's…It's a perfectly natural reaction!"

"Hey!" Misty called to them. "Are you two done? This is supposed to be about me, you know!"

"Fine, fine," Ash groused. He turned his attention to her. "Sorry, Misty. I-"

Then he saw that she was standing on the shore of the lake, her back to him, her arms crossed in front of her and her hands resting on the red straps of her suspenders, just as she had done in his fantasies.

Putting two-and-two together, Ash froze up _again._ "Hey, uh, are you also gonna-"

Misty glanced back at him. She smiled, though he did catch a hint of blush in her cheeks. Then she took a deep breath and, just like she had in his fantasy last night, slid her suspenders off her shoulders.

Her shorts didn't fall immediately, though they did slip a few centimeters, exposing the lacy top of her underwear. As it turned out, her panties were pink.

Ash's mouth suddenly felt very dry. He had come to expect this sort of thing from May, but despite all of Misty's teasing, despite all of her "promises," he had kind of just assumed that they were just that: teasing. A way to work him up. He hadn't really expected for her to go so far as actually make good on any of the stuff she had been hinting at, at least not so soon!

And yet, here she was, stripping down right in front of him.

Great balls of Palkia, what had he gotten himself into with these two?

Then Ash sighed, and he sat down in the grass next to Nidoran. Gently stroking the Pokemon's purple back, he settled back to watch. If they were going to keep this up, then he would at least enjoy the show!

At the very least, Misty didn't seem quite as confident in public nudity as May was. Now that her suspenders were down, she hooked her thumbs into the waistline of her shorts, and…hesitated. She anxiously rose up and down on her toes, but didn't proceed any further.

"Uh, hey, what's the hold-up?" May called. "You're frustrating your audience here!"

"Shut up, May," Misty muttered. She sighed, and pushed down.

Though he would never admit it, Ash had been sneaking peeks at Misty's butt and legs ever since things had been sorted out the night before. Those little shorts she wore did little to conceal it, and he had been drawing up the hypothesis that Misty had an even better butt than May, which was high praise.

This theory was now confirmed as the shorts slid down her smooth, athletic legs to land in a heap around her sneakers with a soft _thump._ Her panties _were_ pink and lacy, surprisingly girly considering her personality, and did little to hide the fact that Misty had a fantastic bubble butt, with two juicy round cheeks and a tiny dimple above each. She nervously stuck her finger into the waistband and straightened them out.

This time, Ash didn't freak out, start stuttering, or try to look away. But he did feel his stomach tighten and his already rapid heartbeat increase even further. He worked his tongue inside his mouth, trying to drum up some saliva, and ran it over his dry lips.

"Bow-chicka-bow-wow!" May sang, imitating a sleazy saxophone. "Work it, girl!"

Now that her shorts were down, Misty seemed to be gaining in confidence. She stepped out of them and kicked them aside with the heel of her shoe. Then she turned around to face Ash.

Her face was blushing cutely, but she still managed a pretty good imitation of May's sensual grin. Placing one hand on her hip and letting the other hang, she looked right at Ash. "Well?" she said, her voice trembling only slightly. "What do you, um, think? You like?"

The folds of her vagina were visible beneath her panties' material. Blinking, Ash glanced up to Misty's eyes and silently nodded.

"Good. And you'd better! Because, um…" Misty faltered for a bit, and then left the thought hanging. She reached down to grab the hem of her shirt. And, after a moment of brief hesitation, she began to pull it up.

Ash couldn't really tell if it was her nerves or if she wanted to tease him further, but Misty took her sweet time taking her shirt off. That was fine though; it made it feel more special, like an unveiling ceremony. And it let him really appreciate her as she became more and more exposed.

Misty had mentioned a few times that, in addition to specializing in water Pokemon, she was also a regular swimmer. Seeing her now, he had no difficulty believing it. Her body was exceptionally well-toned for a ten year old, from the musculature of her legs to the slight definition of her abs. It honestly made him uncomfortably aware of his own lack of muscle, and he resolved to change that in the course of his journey.

Her milky-white chest was, as expected, as flat as his own, but no less enticing. Her bright pink nipples were a little larger than he had expected, and were standing as stiff and erect as his penis _(again!),_ surrounded by a light dusting of freckles. She had a bit of a tanline where the shirt had been, but not one as pronounced as it could have been, so that meant that she did spend some time outside naked. Probably not as much as May, whose tan was completely unbroken, but some.

Misty gave her shirt one final yank, and her head popped out. The pink in her cheeks was now even more luminescent, but her smile was a lot less forced, so she did seem to be enjoying herself. "Well!" she said, letting the shirt fall. "Here they are! Um, I know they're n-not really much, but-"

"With more confidence, Misty!" May shouted at her. "Flat is justice! Rock what'cha got!"

Ash nearly fell back. May was now sitting cross-legged right next to him, body hunched over as she studied Misty intently. "How long have you been there?" he sputtered.

May ignored him. "Come on! You've got abs for days and killer legs, and one heck of a cute butt! So what if you don't got tits yet? You will in a few years, and your nips are _adorable!_ Own that bod!"

Misty looked more annoyed than encouraged, but she rolled her eyes and adjusted her pose, leaning slightly to one side with one hand on her hip and the other hanging free.

"There you go!" May cheered, pumping one arm. "Now the rest of it."

"Nido," Nidoran yawned. Now bored with his human companions' strange rituals, it curled and closed its eyes for an early-evening nap.

"You know, you're not as helpful as you think you are," Misty muttered. "But okay. Let's do this."

Ash straightened up as Misty stuck her thumbs into the band of her panties much as she had with her shorts and slowly brought them down, bending over as she exposed the rest of her.

When she was done, she straightened up again, panties held in one hand. "W-Well, here yah go!" she said.

"Come on, you almost had it!" May groaned. "Stick those hips out more! You got it, so flaunt it!"

"Bite me, May!"

"Time and place!"

Ash wasn't listening to them bicker. In fact, he barely heard them. He was absolutely _entranced_ by the sight of Misty's sex, from the two bald, rosy lips to the tiny little slit that split her in between. Her mound was a little bit bigger than May's, he noticed that too.

 _Just the perfect size to fit in my hand,_ he realized. And if things continued on the way they were, he could probably test that for real!

"All right, we came here for a rest, so let's get you wet!" May leapt to her feet and strutted over to Misty, deliberately swaying her hips back and forth. She laid her hands on Misty's shoulders and turned her around, and Ash was treated to the wondrous sight of _two_ great butts, side-by-side.

"In you go," May said, giving Misty a soft push.

Misty frowned at her. "You're not coming in too?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Water doesn't really agree with me. Fire-type, you know? But you should be right at home." She patted Misty's bare buttcheek. "So go on. Return to your natural habitat!"

Misty scowled. "Then why'd you take off your clothes?" she muttered, but she complied, stepping into the lake.

In one of those odd moments in which the mind goes to the most strangest of places, Ash then realized that he still had yet to call his mom. If she had heard about his embarrassment at the Pokemon lab, then she must be worried sick about him, seeing how he hadn't come home yet. Well, he resolved to call her and let her know that everything was fine at the earliest opportunity.

But, in telling her of his adventures, he was going to have to omit many key details, including this one. _Especially_ this one.

…

As Misty walked into the cool waters of the lake until she was up to her calves, she realized that this was probably the most excited that she had ever been. Even her first battle as an official Gym Leader (which she had won!) didn't really compare.

She had done it. She had taken off her clothes for a boy that she barely knew. True, this wasn't the first time a boy had seen her naked; one wasn't friends with May for any length of time without winding up naked in public at least once. But in all those other cases she had been _caught._ This was the first time that she did it on purpose.

Misty could feel Ash's hungry eyes on her, taking in every centimeter of her body. It was…well, it was honestly pretty embarrassing, but also _unbelievably_ thrilling! Those instances when she had noticed him checking her out had been both funny and kind of flattering, but now with her completely naked the dynamic was changed. Her heart was pounding away so loudly from both fear and arousal that it was a wonder that it wasn't sending ripples through the lake.

 _And it's not just him!_ she realized. _Anyone could come by._ The woods they were in were pretty well-traveled, so at any moment another trainer, a hiker, a backpacker, or pretty much anyone out for a walk could come by and see her.

As weird as it sounded, the possibility of getting seen by a stranger made it even better. The thrill of it was unlike any other. It felt like electricity was singing through her veins and crackling over her skin. Her nipples and nether areas were tingling, and not just because of the cool, evening breeze.

 _No wonder May enjoys this so much._ Misty laughed a little. _Wow, she really has been a bad influence._

"Focus, Misty!" May called. "You're here to learn how to use your PokeGirl powers, remember?"

"Right! Okay." Slowing her breathing, Misty knelt down (Ash was probably really enjoying that part), scooped some lake water into her hands, and splashed it onto herself.

"What are you doing?" May said.

"Getting ready! You know, forming a connection to the water?"

"Um, that's not how it…You know what? Maybe it'll help. Keep right on rubbing yourself."

Misty rolled her eyes. She stood back up, water dripping from her body. "Okay, what do I do?"

"Okay, first you need to concentrate. It'll help to close your eyes for your first time." Then May snickered. "Heh, that's what she said."

Ignoring the double-entendre, Misty did so.

"Now look deep within yourself! There should be a well of energy in your core that wasn't there before, like a ball of fire, burning deep within-"

"May, I'm not a fire-type!"

"Fine! Spring of cool water then! It's in there, go find it!"

Taking a deep breath, Misty turned her focus inward, searching for her new power.

It didn't take long to find it, though it felt more like a humming sphere of energy than a spring of cool water. Well, whatever. May had never been a water-type, so what did she know?

"Okay, I got it!"

"Okay, now focus on that power! Picture yourself sticking your hands in, letting it just seep into you."

Misty did, and she immediately could tell that it was working. She felt like she had just downed ten cups of coffee all at once. Her lips parted in a wide smile.

It felt _incredible,_ even better than sex!It was like every square centimeter of her body was supercharged with power! Her fingers were shaking with energy, just itching to be released.

"Okay, there's a tree directly across the lake from you. Point your hand out. You're going to try to hit it with water gun."

Misty held up her arm, index finger pointing. The buzzing increased.

"Focus on the spot right in front of you!"

Pressure built in her hand. The trembling increased.

"Now, _release!"_

Misty did. She expected the sound of a high-pressure hose followed by a loud splash the feel of water rushing from her body, cool droplets hitting her in its wake.

Instead there was a sudden _crack_ followed immediately by a crashing _boom!_ Bright light flashed beyond her eyelids, lighting the world up, and all the built-up pressure eased instantaneously.

Misty blinked. The tree May had spoken off was now short one branch, with a smoking stump where it had been, the detached branch now lying at its roots.

What?

Misty turned back to her friends. Nidoran had been startled awake and was now huddling in Ash's arms, who in turn was staring at her, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.

As for May, she was wincing. "Oh, uh, well. It looks like you're actually an electric-type." There was a pause, and then she coughed and said, "Um, congratulations?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I told you I'd be back.
> 
> Okay, so, it's been a while since the last update, which means I've had some time to think about what I want to do with story, as well as talked to a few of you and bounced some ideas around. So here's a rough approximation of my plans, as well as some general ground rules that I'm setting for myself. Some of this will be stuff I've already stated, others will be new, but I might as well list everything all at once.
> 
> 1\. Despite this being a retelling of the anime, I'm throwing most of the events out and starting fresh. There will be a few callbacks here and there, and I'll redo the occasional episode or story arc, but for the most part this is going to be a fresh start, fresh story.
> 
> 2\. But on the other hand, I'm also going to be mining the whole of the Pokemon franchise for ideas, characters, and concepts. In addition to the anime, this includes the games, the various manga, and the spin-off titles, which is why we had both Archer and Sierra show up. But the overall framework will adhere a little closer to the plot of Pokemon Red and Blue.
> 
> 3\. Due to the new world, new history, and new culture, a lot of characters will also sport new personalities. Some might be nicer, some who were nice might be mean now, and some might be completely bugnuts. Like I said before, if a character who was nice in the show is now suddenly an asshole, it is not intended to be character bashing, and I do not dislike any of the characters. It is simply for narrative purposes.
> 
> 4\. One major change is that Ash actually knows a lot about Pokemon setting out. He was really uninformed at first in the anime, which made sense, since it allowed the show to introduce each new Pokemon and concept to the audience at the same time as the main character, but that was years ago, and we all know the bizz. If Ash really did want to be a trainer his whole life, it stands to reason that he did a lot of studying first.
> 
> 5\. This story will be Kanto only. The other regions will be referenced of course, and occasionally certain scenes will take place in them, but this story is going to be Indigo League and Indigo League only. Pokemon and characters from later seasons will still show up here and there though.
> 
> 6\. Also, I'm scrapping Ash's original Pokemon team in favor of a new lineup. Maybe one or two familiar faces will join the party, but for the most part I'm starting fresh, hence Nidoran. And I'm making a point to not use any of the original starters, Pikachu included. However, they may still show up occasionally with their new trainers.
> 
> 7\. This might be kind of a spoiler, but it literally is in the tags for the Ao3 crosspost, so screw it. Only expect the mainline female companions to be joining the harem. I know a lot of people have their favorite girl that they want to see included, and I get it, but I do want to give each of the girls some measure of focus, and to do that I got to keep things relatively small and manageable. Nothing stopping any heavily requested girl from showing up for a one-off though, if you know what I mean. And other girls might also be included, depending on how I feel, but don't expect Ash to be catching X supporting girl from such-and-such a season. He might still bang her though.
> 
> Also, I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do with the Alola girls though, as them being a three-for-one deal kind of makes things difficult. I do want to include them in some capacity though.
> 
> 8\. Okay, a lot of people might have an issue with this, but I'm not including any of the male companions. So I'm sorry, but Brock is staying home. Look, I love the B man as much as the next guy, and he certainly would fit right into this new world, but with the harem thing going on, the main cast will be big as it is, so I need to streamline wherever I can. Same goes for the rest, though again, I'm not against the occasional cameo appearance here and there.
> 
> 9\. Only Kanto legendaries. I feel that if you include a legendary, it requires a lot of focus and significance, and like the harem I want to keep things manageable.
> 
> 10\. As for last names, I'm just going with the most common fandom last names for the characters. Let's face it: the near total lack of last names got a little weird after a while. Even Ash didn't have one in the original Japanese.
> 
> Okay, I think that's everything. I guess I'll see you guys-
> 
> …
> 
> "What?" Misty numbly looked down at her hands, which were still crackling with electricity. "WHAT the FU-"
> 
> …
> 
> -around!


	8. Electric Shock in the Viridian Forest!

It was quiet and uncomfortable back at camp, and everyone silently agreed to go to bed early.

This time they set up the tents: one for Ash, and one for the girls. It was a fairly short process, but the tension that hung over everyone made it seem longer than it actually did. All the while, Ash kept shooting glances over to Misty, who was working silently, barely even speaking to May.

It was the look on her face that worried Ash the most. He knew that she was disappointed that she hadn't become a water-type like she had wanted, but _man,_ her face was totally blank, her eyes just _empty!_

When Ash had been convinced that his dreams of becoming a Pokemon trainer had been dashed by his own carelessness, he had felt quite a lot of things. Anger, he had felt plenty of anger. Shame, that had been a big one. Regret. Self-loathing. Resentment. Envy.

But he hadn't felt hollow, not like how Misty looked. Ash had only known Misty for about a day, but she definitely did not strike him as the quiet type. If anything, had she flown into a raging ball of destruction, then sure, he would have been terrified, but at least that reaction would make _sense!_

Instead, after her initial outburst, she had become quiet and withdrawn, and that scared him.

He wanted to help her. It was his fault that she was even in this situation. Unfortunately, after his first couple of attempts to comfort her had been rebuffed, she had softly asked that he leave her alone, and so, not knowing what else to do, he obeyed.

Finally the tents were set up. Ash went inside his and rolled out his sleeping bag. He was about to open it up, but as his hand brushed the coarse material, he hesitated, and stared down at the dark brown bundle.

If things had gone as expected, if Misty had become a water-type like she had wanted, he and Misty would be having sex right now. May had pretty much told him as much. Plus, the two of them had gotten naked for him right then and there, and they had both looked really excited.

Ash had never really given much thought to the prospect of one day owning PokeGirls. Oh, he had always assumed that he one day would; after all, pretty much every grown trainer did, male and female. And he had always assumed that he would have the same blatantly sexual relationship with his PokeGirls that all trainer seemed to have.

But trainers weren't even allowed to catch girls that they defeated in Pokemon battles until they were sixteen, and that was a little more than half of his total lifespan until now away. He was had always been focused on Pokemon, on catching them and training them and winning badges and basically becoming the very best that there ever was, so that when he was old enough to start building up a harem of female trainers that he had defeated in battle, he would be old enough to know what he was doing.

But all of a sudden, right when it seemed that all his hopes and dreams were to be dashed by his own stupidity, he was thrust into a harrowing adventure full of harrowing escapes and evil criminals. He had been hunted, attacked, scared out of his wits, convinced that he was about to die, came really close to actually dying, and yet somehow managed to prevail and escape.

And what had all of that earned him?

Everything he had ever wanted.

He was a trainer now, or at least he would be once they got to Pewter City! He had pokeballs, a PokeDex, and a full kit of supplies. And he had his own Pokemon as well, and a great one at that! Nidoran was a great little fighter, and had way more potential than a Pidgey or Ratata would.

But most surprisingly, he had ended up with not one, but _two_ PokeGirls, both who were really beautiful, smart, brave, funny, and seemed to really like him! And they were around his own age, no less! Which, okay, was…kind of strange, but he wasn't complaining! And not only that, but they seemed perfectly fine with all the sexual stuff as well, which meant that he could be doing that part years before most trainers ever got to!

But it was like May said: his luck was…not great. It had started to look like it was on an upswing, only for this unexpected development to bring it crashing down.

And now he didn't know what to do.

He felt the increasingly familiar stirring in his loins as he looked down at the sleeping bag that he was now going to be using alone. Scowling, he gave his crotch an admonishing flick. Sure, he was disappointed that the night wasn't ending with mind-blowing sex, but more than anything he was worried about Misty. She had just seemed so _depressed._

He wondered about that, actually. Sure, May had said that Misty preferred water-types, but what was wrong with being an electric-type? He could think of lots of way that could turn out to be awesome.

Sighing, he shucked his shoes and then unzipped his jeans. Letting them drop, he stepped out of them and then picked up Nidoran's pokeball. He clicked his thumb against the top half twice.

Moments later, Nidoran had materialized fully next to the sleeping bag. It scratched its ear with its hind leg and looked up at Ash. "Nido?" it inquired.

"Hey, buddy," Ash said as he sat down cross-legged in front of it and stroked its ears. "Sorry I had to put you back in the pokeball so quickly, but Misty was…well, she was upset."

"Doran?"

"No, it's not you. Don't worry, she's not mad at you for stinging her. That was just an accident. She just…"

Ash sighed.

"I don't know. She really wanted to be one thing, and instead she turned out to be something different. I guess we should've seen this coming. I mean, she did get hit by lightning literally seconds before I caught her."

"Nidoran."

"I just feel bad for her. She didn't ask for any of this. She was just out, enjoying her day, when I basically ran her over and ruined her life." Ash gently took Nidoran by the front paws and raised it up onto its hind legs so that they were eye-to-eye.

"Is this just how it's going to be?" Ash said. "I screwed up so bad yesterday, and I ruined Misty's life! I almost got her killed! And I got Nurse Joy captured and brainwashed, and now I have to stay as far away from her as I can just so she'll be safe! Man, do I really have what it takes to-"

And then someone lightly rapped their knuckles against his tent.

Frowning, Ash glanced over his shoulder. A feminine form stood on the outside. He unzipped the front flap just enough to stick his head out.

May was standing there, anxiously wringing her hands together. "Um, hey," she said. "I think I'd better give Misty some space for now. So, uh, can I sleep with you?"

Ash blinked.

Sighing, May held up her palms. "Look, I promise I won't do anything weird or molest you or hump you or anything. I'll behave, okay?"

Wow, this really was serious.

"Um, sure," Ash said. "I guess. But is she okay with this?"

"It's fine, Ash. Really."

"All right. And…is she…okay?"

May grimaced.

Oof. Ash unzipped the flap the rest of the way down and held it open for her, and May stepped inside.

Fortunately, just as Misty didn't hold it against Nidoran for stinging her, Nidoran didn't seem to hold it against May for beating it so it could be caught by Ash. In fact, as she entered the tent, it sat up straight on its hind legs and lowered its horn, almost as if paying respect from one honorable warrior to another.

"Hey, you!" May said as she knelt down and scratched it beneath its jaw. "You put up a real good fight earlier, you know that? Yeah, you're going to be a total badass when you get bigger."

"Nidoran!"

"Yeah, okay, you're right. You're pretty badass now."

Ash cleared his throat. "So, um, how is Misty?"

May sighed and stood back up. "She's…pretty depressed. Honestly, this is the most upset I've ever seen her. Usually she just gets really angry and yells a lot."

"Yeah, I noticed. Did she really want to be a water-type that badly?"

Sighing again, May put her hand on her hip. "Ash, look. None of what happened yesterday was your fault, okay? But while I personally think that turning into a PokeGirl was a major upgrade, she still had her whole life turned upside-down, right?"

Ash winced.

"I mean, she had this whole big, uh, _thing_ going before she met you, and getting caught kind of messed that whole thing up."

"But when I offered to release her, she said no!" Ash protested. "She could've gone home right away!"

May made a face. "Yeah, uh, well, that's a whole other can of Weedles. But anyway, I'm sure she was telling herself that, sure, things might seem weird now, but at least she was her favorite Pokemon type, because what else would she be?" She shook her head. "But then she didn't even get that. So that's why she's so bummed out."

"Oh. Wow. Um, she really likes water-types that much?"

"Oh, you have _no_ idea."

Ash frowned. There it was again, that weird hint that there was something he wasn't being told.

Still, if it was none of his business, then it was none of his business. "Is she going to be okay, though?"

"Sure! Just give her time, and she'll come around. Besides, being a PokeGirl is fantastic, no matter what typing you get!"

That didn't really sound all that convincing to Ash, but he didn't know Misty well enough to argue. "Okay," he said dubiously. "If you say so…"

Then he looked down at the sleeping bag.

The _single_ sleeping bag.

"Uh, I guess we can open it all the way up and…use it as a blanket? Or a mattress? Or I can just take the corner and-"

"Oh, for Arceus's sake, I'm not kicking you out of your own sleeping bag!" May snorted. She kicked off her shoes and grabbed the sides of her skirt and pulled it down, wiggling it around her butt until it dropped. She kept her shorts on this time though. "We already know that we both fit."

"I…" Ash shrugged. She had promised that there would be no funny business. "Uh, okay."

Unzipping it all the way to allow for full access, Ash climbed in, and May followed. The two kids shifted around so that they were back-to-back. It was a snug fit, and May was still _very_ warm, but it wasn't at all uncomfortable. It was actually a lot like wrapping himself up in an electric blanket.

He was, however, _intimately_ aware of the feel of her body, from the surprisingly solid muscles in her back, to how her firm buttcheeks were pressing against his, separated only by the thin material of his boxers and the skintight latex of her bike shorts.

Ash's little cock started to prick up again, but this time he ignored it. So long as May wasn't deliberately trying to stir him up, he should be okay.

"You okay back there?" May asked.

Ash sighed. "I'm _fine!"_

"Because I know how you get, so if you need to go out and rub one out as a precaution, now would probably be-"

Then Nidoran hopped on top of the sleeping bag. It hopped its way to the center, turned around a couple of times, and then curled up and settled down for the night.

"Never mind," May said. "Looks like you're screwed."

Ash thought about that.

Sure, things might be awkward with Misty, but he was still in his own sleeping bag, in his own tent, snuggled up with a beautiful girl, with his very first Pokemon curled up contently on top of them. That seemed to be the opposite of screwed.

"Am I?" he said.

There was a pause, and then May said, "You know something, Ash? You really are a sweetheart." He could practically hear the smile in her voice.

With the warmth of one new friend at his back and the weight of another on top of him, Ash had a small smile of his own as he relaxed his body and closed his eyes.

Mere minutes later all three of them were fast asleep.

…

In the darkness of her own tent, Misty lay flat on her back, one hand draped over her forehead and the other laid flat on the ground, staring up at nothing.

May would be with Ash by now, doing who knew what. Maybe they were making out. Maybe she was humping him again. Maybe she was jacking him off. Maybe they were screwing.

Whatever. It didn't matter.

Misty raised a hand and spread her fingers. There was a faint buzzing in her fingertips. She curled her index finger and thumb close together and concentrated.

A flashing yellow spark leapt from one finger to the next.

Tears once again welled up in Misty's eyes. Biting her lip, she stretched out her fingers again. Come on, enough of the electricity! Give her a splash of water, a bubble, something to indicate that she was a water-type! She would be fine with having a duel-typing. Just let have this much!

All five fingertips began to glow in the dark, shimmering and sparking. She could see the outlines of her own bones.

Misty snatched her hand back and held it to her chest. She turned to her side and curled up into a ball, and, alone in the dark, cried herself to sleep.

…

_It was a beautiful day to be on top of the world._

_The sun was high and bright, the sky a gorgeous shade of blue. The weather was lovely, the winds mild, and it seemed that all of Kanto had come to celebrate Ash's realization of his dreams._

_The Indigo League Stadium was absolutely_ packed, _with hundreds of thousands of cheering Pokemon fans filling the seats, standing out in the field, and even clustering around the outside of the stadium, and literally millions watching on live TV, all come to witness the most important event of the year: the crowning of the Indigo League Champion._

_And despite all odds, despite the rarity of the crown being taken by a rookie trainer on his first try, Ash Ketchum had done it. He had made it all around Kanto, defeating each and every Gym Leader, in a single year. He had gone on a perfect undefeated streak, tearing his way up through the tournament tiers, wasting opponent after opponent, until he had finally faced his ultimate rival in the finals, that jerk Gary Oak, and absolutely demolished him, humiliating Gary once and for all on live television._

_Now he stood on the top of the Champion's Pyramid, waving to the rapturous crowd as the national anthem boomed and hundreds of thousand of people chanted his name._

" _Ash! Ash! Ash!"_

 _And he wasn't alone! True, the second and third placers weren't with him;_ they _were standing with the rest of the disgruntled losers at the base of the pyramid, sullenly clapping as they stared up with jealous eyes as Ash was given his rightful glories. All except Gary._ He _was just standing with his arms folded, furious that he had failed, furious that he now had to accept that Ash had been his superior all along._

_No, Ash was joined by those who deserved to share in his glory. Nidoking, who in its own way was just as much a champion as Ash, stood strong and proud next to its trainer, the Indigo League Championship Belt, presented to the Pokemon who dealt the final blow of the tournament, strapped around its waist, the jewels and gold of its heavy plates glittering in the sun._

_And to either side of Ash and holding tight to his arms were Ash's own "trainers," Misty and May, who had been with him every step of the way, who had stood by and supported him, and who were as much to thank for his victory as anything else. Once they had to hide their status as PokeGirls, but now they were out and proud, wearing nothing but the golden sashes and the sparkling tiaras they had been awarded for their part in preparing him for the tournament._

" _Ash! Ash! Ash!"_

_Then Ash was approached by a tall, thin man with bright red hair and a shimmering white cape draped over his shoulders. It was the man known only as Lance, the head of the Indigo League. In his hand was a huge golden trophy, topped by a golden pokeball. "Congratulations, Ash!" he said, handing the trophy to Ash. "And now, everyone. Please welcome your Indigo League Champion, Ash Ketchum!"_

" _Ash! Ash! Ash!"_

 _Tears welled up in Ash's eyes. It was everything he had ever imagined and more. Misty and May leaned up, pressing their naked bodies to his as they each kissed him on the cheek. Blushing, he hugged the trophy, the champion's trophy,_ his _trophy, to his chest and caressed the golden pokeball, if only to confirm that it was real, to see if it really was his._

 _Seeing this, May leaned in closer and murmured, "Why_ Ash, _I didn't think you had it in you, you naughty boy!"_

Ash's eyes snapped open.

It was in many ways an inversion of his awakening from the day before. Like the previous morning, he was tucked snugly into his sleeping bag and snuggled up with May. Unlike the previous morning though, wakefulness came immediately instead of gradually. Unlike the previous morning, he expected May to be there. Unlike the previous morning, May wasn't naked this time.

And unlike the previous morning, this time he was the one doing the snuggling, spooning his body against hers, one of his arms pressed between her warm back and his front, the other draped loosely over her waist.

And his hand was cupping the slight swell of her breast.

Ash froze. How had he ended up in this position? They had fallen asleep back-to-back! Had she somehow maneuvered his body around while he had slept?

No, that would have taken too much work. Besides, Nidoran was still curled up in contentment on the top of the sleeping bag. There was no way she could have done that without waking it up. He had done it on his own.

"…eeeeeeeeeeeeee…" he squeaked.

Then he became aware of something else, another situation that, while perfectly understandable given the situation, was even more embarrassing.

His cock, which had been safely flaccid and tucked away when he had drifted off to sleep, was now stiff and throbbing. What was more, it had somehow slipped out of the front slit of his boxers and was squeezed between his hips and May's, sandwiched neatly between her warm, spandex-covered buttocks.

Ash's pupils constricted as a cold sweat broke out over his forehead. He felt a scream of sheer shame start to build up in his chest and rise up through his throat.

Before it could escape, May turned her upper body around just enough to glance at him over her shoulder and reach over with one hand to place a finger over Ash's lips. "Don't you dare freak out," she said. "Or you're leaving this tent with a light tan."

Horny, embarrassed, and now quite terrified, Ash responded with a numb nod.

"I literally humped you awake yesterday," May said with her customary sly smile. She laid her other hand on the back of the hand resting on her breast, pressing it in further into the soft mound. "Do you really think I mind?"

Which was a fair point, but it did sort of miss the principle of the thing, in that Ash was being thrust repeatedly far outside of his wheelhouse and was having a hard time adjusting.

Also, he really wished that his brain hadn't selected the words "thrust" and "hard" to describe his reaction.

Then May raised an eyebrow, and her eyes slipped from Ash's face down to where their hips were connected. Humming a catchy tune, she removed her hand from Ash's lips and slowly walked her fingers across his body, down beneath the sleeping back, down toward his erection.

When he realized what she intended, Ash's penis, which was already stiff enough as it was, suddenly surged with anticipation, while the muscles in his groin tightened.

May's hand reached Ash's hip, and he braced himself.

However, right before her hand made contact, May paused. Her smile fell, and she sighed.

"Crap," she muttered, and withdrew her hand.

Ash blinked. "Uh…"

Grimacing, May turned away. "Sorry, champ. But…I think we'd better check to see how Misty's doing before we engage in that sort of thing."

"I…" Ash gritted his teeth. "Okay. But…come on!"

"I know, I know," May said, her tone apologetic. "I swear I'll make it up to you when I can."

Which just went to show just weird Ash's life had gotten all at once, in that a cute girl was apologizing for not giving him a handjob and promising to make it up as if it had been something as innocuous as forgetting to show up for his birthday.

"Ni…Nidoran?"

On top of the sleeping bag, Nidoran had raised its head and was now sleepily blinking at its human companions.

"Oh, uh, good morning!" Ash said to it. "Don't mind us. Just…human things, that's all."

Yawning, Nidoran got up and plodded off the sleeping bag onto the ground. Then it walked over to the tent flap with an irritated look

Suddenly May exclaimed, "Oh crap!" She hastily tossed the sleeping bag away and bounded to her feet.

Ash slapped his hands over his exposed penis. "Hey!"

May ignored him. She unzipped the tent flap and held it open, motioning for Nidoran to go out. The little purple Pokemon gratefully hopped outside and scampered off.

"I don't know if it's housebroken or not," May explained as she stepped into her skirt and pulled it up. She then slipped her feet into her shoes. "And I don't want to take the risk."

"Oh, uh, good point," Ash said as he worked to slip his cock back into his boxers. However, it was still hard and throbbing, and every bit movement just made things worse.

Then Ash sighed. Oh, why not? It's not like she hadn't done far worse.

"Hold on," he said, and turned his back to her. Pulling his aching cock out again, he hastily pumped it as fast and as hard as he could.

This time, he didn't bother with taking his time or conjuring up a pleasant fantasy, he just wanted to get it out of the way. Sure enough, it took less than fifteen seconds for the heat to surge up and burst out, taking the smoldering feelings of arousal with it.

"You know," May remarked as Ash trembled and twitched, "you didn't _have_ to turn around."

Ash rolled his eyes.

"Well, be sure to clean up before you pack up the tent," May said, pushing the tent flap aside and stepping out. "Or it's going to smell _terrible."_

Ash glanced around. Once again, there didn't seem to even be a mess to clean up. Nothing had come out.

He wasn't sure if he was relieved or worried.

After he had pulled his pants and shoes back on, Ash stepped out into the daylight.

Since they had gone to bed a lot earlier than they had the first night, they had woken up a lot earlier, somewhere around eight in the morning. Though the sun was fully out, the dew was still on the grass.

Misty was already up. She had gotten the fire going, and had set up a camping grill over it, and had the skillet going, frying up eggs together with crumbled sausage.

Ash paused, unsure of what to say. Misty had been absolutely distraught the night before, going as far to shun the company of her best friend. And she now had the power to fry him to the bone if she got irritated. What was he going to say.

May looked as awkward as he felt. She softly cleared her throat and said, "Uh, good morning, Misty!"

Misty briefly glanced at her before returning her attention back to the skillet. "Morning," she muttered. Her voice was flat and hollow, with no real inflection at all.

"S-So," Ash said after a bit. "How are you?"

"Fine."

"Fine? That's good! That's, uh-"

May dug her heel into his foot. Ash winced, but he got the hint.

Misty silently served them, dividing the eggs and sausage onto three lightweight plastic plates. They then ate in silence, with Ash and Misty exchanging uncomfortable glances while Misty didn't look at them at all.

Ash scooped a small portion of his plate pushed it off for Nidoran. The food _was_ good. Simple, but good. It was clear that Misty knew her ins and outs of camping.

"So, uh, this tastes great!" he said.

"Hmmm," Misty responded.

"You're a really good cook!"

Finally Misty did look at him, albeit very briefly. "I'm a trainer, Ash. Of course I know how to cook for myself." Then, as she shoveled another spoonful into her mouth, she muttered, "At least I _was."_

Realizing that he was just going to make things worse, Ash fell silent.

More silence followed, and then, surprisingly enough, it was Misty that spoke first. "So," she said. "You guys have fun last night?"

Ash winced.

"We just went to bed," May answered. "With our clothes on."

"Sounds boring," Misty remarked.

Ash and May glanced at each other. "Well, Ash did feel me up in his sleep," May said.

"Ah. Well, probably should have sucked him off first so he wouldn't have been so horny."

Now even Nidoran was looking at Misty weird, and Ash wasn't even sure it fully understood human speech. "Uh, Misty…?" Ash said. "Are you sure that you're-"

Misty abruptly stood up. Setting her dirty plate on the log, she turned and walked away.

"Misty, wait!" Ash said, leaping up as well. "I know you're upset, but if you would just-"

Misty didn't so much as look at him. She just continued walking until she had disappeared into the underbrush.

Ash started to follow, but May laid a hand on his shoulder, stopping him cold. "Just let her go," she said.

Still worriedly staring off in the direction Misty had gone, Ash said, "But-"

"I get it, you're worried about her, you want to help, but you should just leave her alone. She's upset, she probably didn't get a lot of sleep, and she can roast you medium-well if you push her buttons."

All very good points, but Ash still didn't like the idea of just leaving Misty to suffer alone, especially since he was the one responsible for her current situation, no matter how many times May told him that it wasn't his fault. "Does she get like this a lot?" he asked as he sat back down on the log.

"Nope," May said, sitting down next to him and folding her arms over her chest.

Ash glanced at her. May was also staring after Misty, her bright blue eyes, which normally glittered with mischief, were now filled with nothing but concern. "You're worried too, aren't you?"

"Completely," May said.

"Ah." Ash entwined his fingers over his knees, the thumbs twiddling together. "So, uh, how long should we wait?"

May sighed. "Oh, I'd say until the normal Angry Misty comes back. That I know how to deal with."

"Oh, uh, how do we know when that happens?"

"Misty's supercharged with destructive electrical force now. So…sometime after the fireworks. When you hear skyward screams of righteous fury, you know it's getting close."

…

Misty knew that her companions were talking about her. She knew that they were worried about her. She knew that Ash was probably fretting and blaming himself while May was keeping him from bumbling all over the situation.

She just didn't care.

Let them worry. Let them argue about what to do. She didn't want to see either one of them right now. She didn't want to talk to anyone human.

Her path took her to the shore of the lake, which was supposed to be the start of something wonderful, her realization of her water-type abilities, the same she had carefully curated in her own Pokemon. After that moment of discovery, she was supposed to follow it up with a beautiful night of a different kind of discovery with Ash, and then the three of them would have departed on a fun adventure together, a trio of young lovers off to see the world, where the challenges were difficult but straightforward, and there were much fewer weird rules and politics to get in the way.

But of course life had decided to be an absolutely jerk, and now Misty didn't even know what she wanted anymore.

She walked across the shore until she found a secluded area of the lake shrouded by thick shrubbery and weeping willows, giving her some measure of privacy.

Once she was truly certain that she was alone, the façade slipped, the mask cracked, and her legs started to buckle. Misty let herself drop down to the grass along the shore. Drawing her legs up, she buried her face in her heads and wept.

It wasn't fair! She hadn't asked for any of this! She had spent her entire life in and around the water, had devoted her life to water-type Pokemon, was the official Gym Leader of water-type Pokemon of all things, and one chance lightning bolt had been enough to choose her typing? And as the type known for being a counter to water-types, no less!

She had been looking forward to this adventure too! It was going to be fun! She was going to be able to get away from the gym, away from her annoying sisters, and if Team Rocket did show up, then they could just blast them into next week without worrying about them getting a repair permit denied or cutting her electrical grid. It would just be her, May, Ash, and their Pokemon against the-

Wait. Her Pokemon.

Wiping her eyes, Misty reached down to her belt and removed Staryu and Starmie's pokeballs. The other three were new, a Goldeen, Krabby, and Tentacool that she had caught a couple days prior that she intended to take back to her gym to train. But Staryu and Starmie were her oldest friends! They were always part of her team when dueling trainers, no matter how many badges they had, and Starmie had been her very first catch!

They still didn't know that she had been caught, much less that she was now an electric-type. The two of them had battled against countless electric-types in her gym, enough that she felt that they regarded them with a sort of contempt. How would they respond? What would they think?

Only one way to find out.

She clicked both pokeballs with her thumbs and out they came, forming in the shallows of the lake, a pair of star-shaped creatures, one light brown and the other dark purple, their scarlet gemstone cores brightly shining.

Staryu was the younger and more excitable of the two. Upon being chosen, it immediately straightened up and stared looking around for the threat that it had been summoned to battle. _"Har!"_ it declared in its coarse, crystalline voice.

Starmie, however, was older and more even-tempered. Instead of immediately preparing for battle, it instead stared right at its trainer. Its psychic abilities no doubt told it that something was wrong, but even without them, seeming Misty looking so morose would have been a tip-off. _"Hrur?"_ it inquired.

Misty sighed. "Hi, guys," she said. "No, there's nothing to fight. I just need to tell you something."

Starmie tilted its, well, its rays, and its core began to glow. Misty suddenly felt a faint buzzing in the back of her mind, a sure sign that it was scanning her.

Then it stiffened. _"Hwoo!"_ it said in distress.

Oh no. "Wait," Misty said, extending a hand.

Starmie recoiled from her touch, and Misty felt like a jagged shard of glass had been stabbed into her heart.

" _Heh?"_ asked Staryu.

" _Hweh!"_ responded Starmie.

Staryu reacted immediately, all of its rays going stiff in shock.

"Guys, no, it's still me!" Misty protested, holding out her hands. "I'm still Misty. It's just-"

" _Hor!"_

Staryu and Starmie both dissolved into red energy, which then fled back into the pokeballs.

Misty gawked down at the two inert spheres of metal and plastic in her hands. Had she just been rejected? Did her two oldest friends, her favorite Pokemon, just turn away from her, just because she was an electric-type?

Tears again misted her vision, and the two pokeballs slipped from her trembling fingers, which then curled into shaking fists.

No! Not this. Had _everything_ been taken from her? First it had nearly been her life, then her freedom, then her safety, then her connection to the water, and now even her own Pokemon were abandoning her!

Hot, angry tears dripped down her cheeks, and the shaking in her arms grew worse. This wasn't fair! She hadn't asked for any of this! No matter what she did, life just spat on her! She tried to do her best as Gym Leader, and if it wasn't Team Rocket making her life miserable, it was her own sisters undermining her at every turn! She thought that maybe going with Ash would be her escape from all that, but as it turned out, to do so she had to throw away literally everything that had made her life worth living, and she ended up with a lot of crap in return!

It wasn't fair! It wasn't fair! It wasn't-

Pure rage mixed with grief coursed through her, and she thrust her fists to the sky and _screamed!_

…

"Holy moly!" Ash blurted out as he leapt to his feet. Startled as well, Nidoran ran across the log's length and bounded into his arms.

Crackling blasts of electricity were shooting into the sky from the lake's shore, thunderous sonic booms punctuating each blast and sending shockwaves rippling across the water's surface. And over it all was a sustained shriek of pure, unadulterated rage.

Ash stood slack-jawed, holding the trembling Pokemon to his chest, staring in disbelief as Misty unleashed her fury into the heavens. Sweet and salty balls of Palkia, what was _that?_

"Oh," May said, a look of dismay on her face. "Oh, boy. I haven't seen her this angry in a really long time. And she couldn't blow things up back then."

"Uh, should we, you know, _do_ something?" Ash took a step forward, only for May to grip him by the shoulder.

"Nope," she said. "Nuh-uh. You sit your cute little butt _down."_

With that last word, May shoved Ash's butt back onto the fallen log.

"But-"

"No. Don't. I know you want to help, but _trust_ me. You do _not_ want to be anywhere _near_ any of that. Heck, _I_ don't want to be anywhere near that, and I actually can take her in a fight!"

Then a particularly power lightning bolt, one that as thick as a tree, shot straight upward into space. It lasted for a full six seconds, and a sustained rumble of thunder reverberated out from it, bending the trees and sending actual waves rolling across the lake. Ash and May winced and covered their ears while Nidoran immediately leapt back into its pokeball.

Finally the pillar of destructive, electric force tapered off, and the rumbles of thunder died away. Ash and May lowered their hands, though there was still a shrill ringing in their ears.

Wincing, May massaged her temples with her fingertips. "Correction," she said. "I _may_ be able to take her in a fight."

…

Though she was draining all of her wellspring of electric power, Misty kept the juice going as long as she could, fueling it with years of pent-up frustration, bitterness, indignation, resentment, and good old-fashioned anger.

Despite everything, it felt _so good_ to finally release all of those bottled-up emotions. It was like tearing off a scab, vomiting out bad food, or draining a boil. It hurt, it felt kind of gross, but _man_ was it liberating.

Out and out it poured, drawn up from deep in her core, sending surging up through her body to blast up through her fingertips, until every single drop was gone, every static charge, every tiny shock had been expunged.

When it was done, Misty felt spent, empty, drained, but kind of relieved. Her muscles, unused to conducting that kind of power, were twitching from exertion, and she seemed unable to take a deep breath, but she did feel better. Her arms drooped to her sides, and she let herself fall flat on her back in the grass, eyes staring up at the sky.

 _There,_ she thought. _I gave you your dumb lightning back. Now let me be a water-type!_

Of course it didn't work, though honestly it really _should._

She tried to think of what she should do now, but her mind now felt foggy and scattered, making collecting her thoughts difficult. She hadn't slept well the previous night, and now all she wanted to do was let herself drift off.

Well, why not? She was having a really lousy week; she deserved a nap!

Misty closed her eyes, ready to just let herself drift off.

To her annoyance, she couldn't.

There was something floating on the edge of her mind, something that, despite her exhaustion, her attention refused to ignore. With the buzzing energy in her core now spent, a new sensation was starting to build to replace it, making her feel restless. She fidgeted, her thighs rubbing together as the sensation grew. What was going on? And why was it so familiar? Almost like-

Oh.

Oh, _darn._

Immediately her mind flashed back to one particular night from some months ago, the night she had met Professor Bill Conifer, actually. It had been during yet another boring League Summit, where she and May had been desperate for anything to pass the time, and they had met the young, new professor from Sinnoh, and May had decided to take advantage of the situation to have a few "questions answered," while Misty had sat nearby, watching in amusement as Bill had squirmed with discomfort as May's questions increasingly got more and more inappropriate.

 _Well, it's true that PokeGirls do gain a drastically increased libido after being caught,_ Bill said in her memory. _That's fairly common knowledge. Periods of arousal are more frequent and last longer, and stimulation is stronger, especially after battles. The prevailing theory is that it acts as a natural painkiller following a violent encounter, though there is no unanimous agreement._

 _So…orgasms are better then?_ May had eagerly responded.

… _yes. They do seem to be more powerful and longer in duration, and the recovery period is much shorter._

_But it's not just after battles, right? Like, they're just ready to go 24/7?_

_Well, no, it of course is not constant, but it does happen at a much higher frequency than it does with normal females, yes. It's just_ particularly _stronger after battles. You…do know that you can just look this up for yourself, right?_

_Is that why PokeGirls are always so horny in tournaments? I saw this one battle where the winner just started grinding the loser, right in the middle of the arena!_

_I'm sorry, how old are you again? Where are your parents?_

Though the memory brought a small smile to Misty's face, it did highlight the problem she was now facing, a problem that May had been fully aware of and eager to experience when Misty had made her a PokeGirl, and yet she had somehow forgotten.

In unleashing her rage, she had spent all of her power reserves, thus making her body think that she had just been in a battle. As such, she was now becoming _infuriatingly_ horny.

Misty whimpered as the tingling waves of arousal surged through her in waves, starting in her gut but rippling outward. Her short, exhausted panting slowed, grew deeper, grew _thicker,_ making her shudder with every breath she took. She was intensely, _achingly_ aware of every sensation, from where the grass tickled the bare skin of her outstretched arms and legs, the back of her exposed midriff, and the back of her neck, to how the soft fabric of her shirt glided over the stiffening nubs of her nipples. A feverish shiver broke out over her body, as cold sweat budded on her forehead.

But of course, the center of concentration was concentrated deep in her loins. Every small movement slid her moistened panties over the her swelling lips, while the girlish bud of her clitoris twitched higher and harder with every breath. Though it only made things worse, Misty couldn't keep from squirming, rubbing her legs and thighs together. Her back began to arch on its own, slowly thrusting her hips upward.

Good grief, was this how May felt all the time? Misty often teased her for her raging sex drive and complete lack of shame, but if this was how it felt to be her, then Misty honestly owed her an apology. If anything, May now had her full respect for how much self-control she actually exerted.

 _It's just because you exerted so much power at once,_ said the rational part of her mind, the part that actually recalled everything she had learned. _It's your first time having done so, so of course the resulting wave of arousal would come on so strong-_

_Yeah, that's great. Shut up, I'm horny._

"Mmmmm," Misty moaned. Her teeth came down on her lower lip, and her hips were now moving on their own, practically humping the air in their need for satisfaction.

 _Darn it, I've done it now. This isn't going away on it's own._ She had wanted to just throw herself a well-deserved pity-party, and instead she just ended up turning herself on.

Like, _really_ on.

 _Okay,_ she thought to herself as one hand unconsciously glided over the clenching muscles of her stomach, up under her shirt, to squeeze one of her nipples. _I should…I should go back to camp. May. She'll be…more than happy to help me with this. And Ash! This is his fault, anyway. He owes me. And it's not like…like he'd mind. I kind of. Promised him. Didn't I? Sort of?_

But despite how hard it was getting to think, despite how much her body was screaming _Hell yes!_ to the prospect of getting banged by both Ash and May at the same time, she still couldn't bring herself to do it.

Because even though she was now a miserable, rejected, down-on-her luck electric-type PokeGirl, she was _still_ Misty Waterflower, and she had her pride, darn it!

 _That's okay,_ she thought as her other hand settled on the front of her shorts. _I can take care of this myself. I've done it before. This shouldn't…take long…at all._

That decided, she then hastily attacked her shorts with both hands, fingers fumbling around the button, trying her darnedest to undo it, but her fingers suddenly seemed so slippery, and she couldn't get them to-

There! The button popped free, so she yanked down the zipper as fast as she could and quickly swept her suspenders from her shoulders. Then she lifted her butt and divested herself of her shorts and panties with one swift motion, pulling them down to her knees before kicking them off entirely.

By now her pussy felt like it had doubled in sized and was practically throbbing with need. She laid one hand over her mound and nearly swooned at how sensitive it was.

 _Okay. This'll be fast._ Spreading the moist lips with her fingers, she readied herself to plunge in. _Let's take care of this and-_

_Wait._

Misty paused. It suddenly occurred to her that since this was her first time experiencing this level of arousal, it probably wasn't going to feel this good again. So why waste it? Why not take her time and really enjoy herself? She was having a lousy time, so she deserved it!

Okay. Slow it down it was. That was fine; she could do slow. Now, she just needed a good fantasy for, ahem, _encouragement._

But what though?

She considered fantasizing about Ash again, but discarded that idea. She was still a little cranky with him, and besides, she had no real experience with him to build off of. Also, it did feel a little skeevy to start imagining having sex with him after leading him on only to shoot him down last night.

That also eliminated just about every other boy she knew, as they were all either gross or someone she liked but was still disinterested in.

Which led her to the most logical choice: May.

With May, Misty had a wealth of pleasant memories to draw from. The two had started having sex even before May had become a PokeGirl, and many more times since. She knew the feel of May's fingers intimately well, and the weight of her body was as familiar to her as the feel of her own clothes, and much more fun.

And she had the perfect memory to call upon too. Since this was her first time pleasuring herself as a PokeGirl, what could be more fitting than her first time with May?

Yes. That would do nicely.

Misty's fingers closed around her pussy while her other hand returned to her chest, squeezing the stiff nubs of her nipples and rolling them between her fingers, while her mind wound itself back. It had been a little over a year ago, and Misty was taking a trip to the Hoenn League. And since they had already been friends for a couple months, May had asked, had begged, had cajoled her to spend her time at her place instead of just staying at a hotel or League Headquarters.

 _Come on, it'll be great!_ she had said. _Mom and Dad won't even be there, and Brandon's away at camp! We'll have the whole place to ourselves!_

Well, that sounded just great to the increasingly stressed young Gym Leader, so Misty had readily agreed.

What followed was easily the most fun weekend she ever had. There had been movies, there had been an obscene amount of junk food, and May had even convinced Misty to help her break into her dad's gym where he kept his own Pokemon, so they could have a rare Gym Leader vs. Gym Leader (well, Gym Leader's daughter, anyway) battle (Misty had won).

But most important was what had happened after the sun had gone down, when they had been huddled together in May's room, transfixed on her TV. Because as it turned out, she had more than just a secret stash of horror movies. She also had a _breathtaking_ collection of pornography, from the traditional stuff to several video tapes of exclusively PokeGirl vs. PokeGirl battles.

And though she had thought it was dumb at first (she saw boobs and penises at her gym all the time, and she could do without seeing more, or at least of the latter), Misty had ended up _transfixed!_

" _Look at that!" May said, gesticulating grandly at the television. On it, a buxom blonde was writhing around with a petite pink-haired girl. They were both fighting types, and were supposed to be trying to out-wrestle one another, but it looked more to Misty like they were each fighting to mount the other. "And this is just stuff I taped on TV! Seriously, why do grown-ups make such a big deal about porn anyway? This is way spicier!"_

_Misty licked her lips._

_Grinning, May turned toward her younger friend. "Of course, you see this kind of stuff all the time!" she said, playfully elbowing Misty in the side. "Bet'cha trainers bring in PokeGirls all the time!"_

_Misty jumped a little at the sudden contact. "Uh, y-yeah. They do. I…I actually don't mind that very much. It's their trainers that I can't stand."_

_May leaned in, grinning slyly as she pressed her cheek to Misty's. "Yeah, I bet you don't. All day, just an endless parades of tits and ass."_

Misty's middle finger slid right in. The warm, dripping insides of her pussy gripped down, applying as much pressure as possible. Meanwhile, her thumb rotated over her clitoris, rolling it around and around.

" _Um. Um." Misty nervously ran her fingers around her shirt's neckhole, opening it up to allow for some air. "Well, I actually feel pretty bad about having to fight them. Especially when I win. I just…don't like hurting them, you know?"_

" _You know they love it," May said, draping an arm around Misty's shoulder and bringing her in close. "The fighting, I mean. It's like foreplay to them!"_

_Misty shot her an odd look. "How do you know?"_

" _Because I've asked them! It doesn't hurt as much as it looks, and it_ really _turns them on!"_

_To this, Misty said nothing. She just returned her attention to the TV. On it, the pink-haired PokeGirl had managed to twist the blonde into a very painful looking hold, one where one of the blonde's legs was draped over the back of the pink-haired one's neck, and she was pressing down on the blonde's upper and lower leg with her arms, applying pressure to her knee. Meanwhile, she was using her own legs to part the blonde's thighs, forcing her into the splits, while using her own leg to manipulate the blonde's other leg, bending it back and forth between hyper-extending the knee or squeezing the calf against her shins._

_It looked_ agonizing, _but the blonde's moans and cries didn't sound so much anguished as they sounded, well,_ deeply _aroused, almost as if she were enjoying it. She gasped and moaned, her large breasts heaving with every labored breath._

_Sensing that the end was near, the pinkette twisted the blonde's leg back and forth. The blonde screamed one more time before going limp, ending the match._

" _Now here's the really good part," May said, her arm still slung around Misty's shoulders. "Watch this."_

_Fascinated, disturbed, kind of disgusted, but unable to look away, Misty stared as the pinkette released the trembling blonde's legs and stood up. She walked over to the edge of the ring, and one of the attendants handed something to her._

_It was a black harness, one with a rubber penis affixed to the front._

_As Misty watched, the pink-haired PokeGirl put the strap-on on, clicking the buckles in place over her groin. She then knelt down next to the blonde, who was still collapsed on the floor, and ran her hands over her vanquished opponent's legs._

_At the touch, the blonde began to stir again, but it was too late. The pinkette spread her legs apart and placed the rubber head of the strap-on on top of the blonde's glistening cunt. She played with her enemy a bit, waggling it back and forth, before drawing her hips back and thrusting forward._

_The rubber penis slid right in._

Adding another finger, Misty began to build up speed, pumping her pussy with her hand. Her hips were again jerking up, but now they had something to thrust into.

" _Look at that," May said as the pink-haired PokeGirl thrust into the blonde again and again, making her cry out. "It's really something, isn't it?"_

_Misty's tongue slid out, moistening her drying lips. "Um, yeah. It r-really is."_

_Then May slowly turned her head so that she was looking right at Misty, her grin now somehow even more sensual. "Hey," she said. "Wanna try it?"_

_Misty stiffened. "W-What?"_

" _What they're doing. The sex. Wanna try it?"_

_Wait, was she serious? Was May actually being serious right now? "You mean, we beat each other up and-"_

" _No! Nothing like that! And not even with the strap-on. But, you know, the rest. You know, the sort of things two girls can do with each other. Wanna give it a shot?"_

" _I…" Misty's first impulse was to shoot May down immediately. It was something she did often, when yet another douchebag trainer decided to proposition the little girl playing Gym Leader._

_And yet, though the command to refuse had left her brain, her lips rebelled and she instead found herself saying, "Can we?"_

" _Absolutely." May's bright blue eyes seemed to be sparkling even in the darkened room. "Don't worry. I'll take care of you."_

" _Have you…" Misty swallowed. Boy, her throat was dry! "Have you ever done this before?"_

" _Uh, well, no," May admitted. "But that makes it even more fun! It's a great, big world to explore, and we can do it together! Isn't that what being a Pokemon trainer was all about?"_

_Personally, Misty felt that May's analogy was really reaching. Regardless, though her heart was thumping in her chest, she still managed a small nod._

" _Okay." May nodded, and for the first time she actually seemed a little nervous herself. "Okay. Well, here goes."_

_She leaned in to kiss Misty on the lips. As soon as she felt May's warm breath on her mouth, Misty froze. And when their lips made contact, she nearly screamed. Not in fear, or excitement, or any normal human emotion, but in simple stimulation overload, an extreme reaction to, "Oh gosh, oh gosh, this is really happening, this is really happening and I don't know what to do, what do I do, what do I do?"_

_Then the answer came to her in a burst of clarity._

Kiss her back.

_Lowering her eyelids, Misty tiled her head and pressed into May's lips. It felt…nice. Weird, but nice. It was a sort of strange intimate connection that was a lot like getting cuddled, something that happened frequently with May, only…spicier. Spicier and more wet._

_The two young girls kissed each other for a bit. Though neither of them really knew what they were doing, May at least seemed to have_ some _idea of what she wanted, so Misty just did her best to copy her, so it didn't take long for them to fall into a sort of rhythm, their lips softly smacking, punctuated by gentle sighs and tiny moans._

_Despite how nervous she was, Misty found herself pressing deeper into the kiss. Her breaths were coming in hot and quick now, and the squirming in her core was heating up._

_But that was_ nothing _compared to the furious tingling deep in her groin, which had been slowly smoldering all throughout their little movie marathon but was now practically exploding with desire._

 _So_ this _was what the fuss was all about! Misty had never really understood what her sisters' big obsession over kissing or sex was all about, and to be honest it kind of disgusted her. But if_ kissing _felt this good, then she found herself finally getting it, though she would never admit it to her sisters' faces._

_Then, before she knew what was happening, something warm and moist slipped into her mouth._

" _Ew!" Misty abruptly withdrew and started spitting and sputtering. "Was that your_ tongue?"

_May honestly looked surprised at both Misty's reaction and at herself. "Oh! Oh, crap! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to do that!"_

" _You stuck your tongue in my mouth! How could you not know what you were doing?"_

" _It's what they always do on TV!"_

 _Misty blinked. "Wait, really? They kiss each other with their_ tongue?"

" _All the time!"_

"… _why?"_

_May shrugged. "I dunno, I guess it feels good?"_

_Did it? Sex did seem to be all about sticking different body parts into someone else. Maybe it did._

" _Oh, well, then I_ guess _it should be okay."_

_May brightened? "Really? You want to try it?"_

_Misty nodded. "Just don't drool into my mouth, okay?"_

" _Got it!"_

_May again leaned in to kiss Misty, and Misty leaned into her in return. Their lips met, and this time, when May's tongue slid into her mouth, she let it._

_It was…still kind of gross, and Misty found herself frowning a little. But the more she kissed May, the less it weirded her out, and she actually found herself liking it a little._

_Feeling emboldened, Misty thrust her own tongue forward. May smiled against Misty's mouth, and their tongues and lips danced together, sharing warmth and fluids._

Misty pumped her fingers faster and harder, her sopping wet insides clamping down on her digits.

_Then a soft sigh escaped May's lips, and she slowly withdrew._

" _So," she said. "Wanna take this to the next level?"_

_Misty was feeling a little lightheaded, but she still managed a nod._

" _Okay. Now, put your arms up."_

_The flutters in her belly came back, but Misty still obeyed. May laid her hands on Misty's waist._

" _Ready?" she said._

" _Stop stalling," Misty said with a scowl. "You know I am."_

" _Oooh, there's my feisty little mermaid." And with that, May curled her fingers around the hem of Misty's pajama top and pulled it up over her head and arms and tossed it away._

_Once it was gone, Misty instinctively tried to cover her chest with her arms. Granted, there was nothing really there to cover up, but it was the principle of the thing._

" _Uh-uh," May said, grabbing her by the wrists and bringing her arms back down to the bed. "None of that." She then let her eyes rove up and down Misty's exposed torso and smiled. Misty winced a bit at the attention but let her._

" _So cute," May murmured, pressing a single fingertip to the middle of Misty's collarbone and slid it down the valley between where Misty's breasts would one day be. Misty's whole body shivered at the touch._

_Then she leaned in to close her lips to one of Misty's little pink nipples._

_Misty closed her eyes just breathed as May worked her tongue over the hard nub, working it like a piece of candy. Soft mewling noises escaped her lips as her body began to shiver with pleasure. May then switched nipples, trailing a string of spit from her lips._

" _You…You really think so?" Misty said as May licked and sucked on her chest._

" _Hmmm?"_

" _That I'm cute?"_

_Normally Misty would not be caught dead asking such a question, but this was the most vulnerable she had ever been, and paradoxically it was with someone that she trusted, so she felt that the time was right._

_May withdrew from her nipple and wiped her mouth. "What are you talking about?" she said, her face twisted up in puzzlement. "Of course you are!"_

_Misty shrugged. "Well, you know. Everyone's always telling me how beautiful my sisters are, and then they tell me that it's great that I'm so good at Pokemon training, like I don't know what they really mean. And my sisters keep saying that I must've been supposed to be born a boy, only for things to get messed up at the last second, and I would never be-"_

" _Oh,_ please!" _May snorted. "Cut that talk off right now!" She laid a hand on Misty's bare shoulder. "Misty, you are_ adorable! _Those bimbos just say that because they already know that you're twice the woman that they'll ever be, and once you've grown up, you're going to become an absolute stunner." She looked Misty up and down again and smiled. "Though if you ask me, you are one sexy babe already."_

_Normally when Misty heard that kind of talk, it meant that it was time to embarrass some loser foolish enough to step foot in her gym. But coming from May, it just made her feel warm and mushy inside. "Really?"_

" _Girl, I am leaking like a Blastoise's cannon just looking at you. Now, are you going to stop listening to stupid people, or can we go back to having sex?"_

 _Misty felt her throat tighten up. All her life she had wanted to stand out, to excel, to prove her worth and have her accomplishments acknowledged. She had pushed, fought, battled, and clawed her way into the position she was at a far younger age than anyone else, and when jerks and losers failed to respect her, then she_ made _them respect her!_

_But there was something else that she wanted, something that she had never really admitted to anyone, something that she only really felt late at night, as she stared up at the ceiling of her room._

_And that was to feel wanted._

_She didn't just want to be liked. She didn't just want to be appreciated. She wanted someone to_ want _her, to desire her, not as a way to control and have power over her, but for someone to_ need _her._

_It wasn't something she had really ever expected to have though. She was the runt, the tomboy, the un-shiny Mareep of her family. From her unruly carrot-orange hair to her face full of freckles, Misty had always felt that her older sisters had gotten all the beauty while she had to content herself with building skill in other areas. No one would ever want her for reasons unrelated to her status as a trainer._

_But she had been wrong. May wanted her. May desired her. And not just as a friend or for her prestigious position, but as a girl._

_No, as a_ woman, _as a_ lover! _May thought that she was pretty. May thought that she was sexy. May_ wanted _her._

_And with that, all of Misty's nervousness dissipated. She felt good, she felt warm, she felt wanted._

_She felt loved._

" _Ready to go on?" May asked._

" _Oh, yeah," Misty grinned._

_Suddenly May had two hands grabbing her by the collar of her own pajama top. Drawing back in surprise, she stared as Misty leaned in so that their foreheads were touching, a grin as lecherous as any May had ever worn on her face now._

" _My turn," Misty purred, and she pushed the top button of May's pajama top through its hole and started working downward, opening it as she went._

_May then grinned in return. "Knew you had it in you, Red," she said._

_Misty reached the bottom button, and May's top fell open. Misty reached up with hesitant, yet excited, fingers to brush the soft cloth off of May's shoulders. The pajama top slid down May's waist, revealing her slender waist, her own breasts just starting to bud. Still, at least she_ had _them!_

_Licking her lips, Misty reached out with both hands, only to pause halfway. Should she? Would doing so be too forward?_

_In answer, May smirked and grabbed both of Misty's wrists. Then she slowly moved Misty's hands forward the rest of the way, laying them on her chest._

" _Okay," Misty murmured as she pressed her hands into May's boobs, pressing them, kneading the soft flesh, feeling May's own hardening nipples roll around beneath her palm._

_Though she would never admit it, and as uncomfortable as it made her sometimes, one thing she did like about trainers using PokeGirls in her gym was all the boobs. There were big, pillowy boobs; there were small, dainty boobs; there were boobs shaped like pears, boobs shaped like apples, boobs shaped watermelons, and pretty much every everything else found in a fruit basket; there were ones with a lot of bounce and there were ones that looked more firm to the touch; there were ones with large dark nipples and ones with small pink ones; but the one thing they all had in common was they all seemed to be calling to her to play with them._

_Misty always knew that she one day would have a pair of her own, and if her sisters' busts were anything to judge by, she would have nothing to complain about. But she still wanted a pair to play with_ now. _Her own still had a few years before they started coming in, and she legally couldn't catch a Pokegirl of her own. And that honestly just galled her. She knew that she would make a better trainer for those girls that the overwhelming majority of the trainers they were stuck with, even the female ones._

_But now she finally had a pair to play with. And sure, they were barely there, but they still felt…nice. Very nice._

_As she continued to play with May's chest, May returned the favor, fingers Misty's nipples again. This time, Misty didn't draw away. She even lifted her arms a bit, giving May better access._

_Then May kissed her again, and Misty didn't withdraw. Their tongues rolled around one another while their nipples rolled around in their hands._

Rolling over onto her front, Misty stuck her butt into the air as she continued to abuse her throbbing pussy. Tingling sweat was dripping down her face, and she squeezed her eyes shut before it could get in.

_May slowly parted and let her hands drop. Sensing that things were about to change, Misty did the same._

" _So, hey," May panted. "Wanna move on to the main event?"_

_Misty blinked. Then she slowly nodded._

" _Okay. Stretch out your legs and lift up your butt."_

_This was it. They were really going this far. Trembling with nervousness and excitement, Misty did as she was instructed, bracing her arms against the bed and lifting her butt up for May._

_May let her fingers trail down Misty's front, leaving the skin shivering with pleasure in her wake. Then they moved around the curve of her hips and hooked into the waistline of her pajama bottoms._

" _Ready?" she said._

" _Yup!" Misty said, trying to sound confident and grown-up, but the squeak in her voice betrayed her._

_Grinning, May gave the bottoms a pull, slowly peeling them down Misty's hips and over her legs, revealing Misty's creamy white thighs and plain white panties. She felt slightly embarrassed about that, but no one had told her that they would be doing sexy things! If she had known, she would have worn something more flirty, except that she didn't even own anything more flirty, so she would have to buy some, which would just lead to weird questions at the story and if her sisters found out-_

" _So_ cute," _May murmured again, interrupting May's off-course train of thought. She moved her hands back up, caressing Misty's calves, giving them a brief squeeze before moving up to her thighs. Misty was now practically panting with anticipation._

_Despite them being oh so achingly close, May took her sweet time exploring Misty's upper legs, feeling, groping, and pinching her flesh. Then both hands reached around to seize Misty's bottom._

_Misty squeaked._

" _Did anyone ever tell you that you've got a fantastic butt?" May said as she kneaded Misty's cheeks._

" _I…uh…well, a couple jerks have tried to slap it, but I kicked them out right after, so…no."_

" _Ha! Well, this is better than slapping, right?"_

_May's fingers were digging in deep. Misty bit down on her lower lips and curled her upper body against May, grabbing onto her shoulders as hoarse groans rose up from deep within her._

_Then May paused, and started to remove her hands. Misty's heart was already beating fast, but now it really began to race. Was this it? Was May going for-_

_May's palm came down on Misty's left butt cheek, smacking it with a loud clap._

" _Hey!" Misty gave May a rough shove. "What the heck?"_

_Laughing, May held up her hands in surrender. "Sorry, sorry! It's just so juicy, I couldn't help it!"_

_Scowling, Misty turned away with a huff. "Well, that doesn't give you the right to just smack me whenever you feel like it! I mean, what if I just spanked you out of nowhere? How would you like that?"_

" _Um, a lot?"_

_Misty blinked. "Wait," she said, turning back. "Really?"_

_May shot her a look._

_Then she sighed and stuck her thumbs into the waist of the shorts she was wearing and pushed them off._

" _Wait, hold on!" Misty protested. "I didn't…ah, hello."_

_May's own panties were small, black, and rimmed with lace, and did very little to hide the shape of her mound. Seeing how Misty was staring, May shot her a wink and then got up on her hands and knees._

" _Uh, May?" Misty said, her cheeks heating up. "What are…What are…"_

_May turned all the way around so that her butt was sticking right at Misty's face._

"… _oh. Okay."_

" _C'mon," May said, giving her butt a shake. "Give it a smack."_

_May stared at her older friend. "You cannot be serious."_

" _Why wouldn't I be? Fair's fair, right? I slapped yours, so now you get to slap mine!"_

_Misty blinked. Then she looked down at May's two protruding butt cheeks, which continued to waggle enticing right in front of her face, jiggling with every shake. She licked her lips and looked down at her hand._

_Then she shrugged. Oh well, why not? She lifted her hand and gave May's left cheek a tap._

_May's butt stopped shaking. "Wait, that was it?" she said in disappointment. "Come on! I know you can-"_

_Then Misty slapped May's butt as hard as she could._

" _Oh!" May gasped. "Oh, wow. That….Okay, I was kind of joking, but that still-"_

_Misty spanked her again, this time going for the other cheek._

" _Oh. Uh, yeah. You know what? Forget fair. You just keep…keep doing that."_

_Grinning, Misty reared back with her palm to do just that, but then her eyes fell upon the thin, lacy material that split May's cheeks and paused. "Hmmm," she said, lowering her hand._

" _Hey! I said keep slapping! What are you-"_

_Misty seized the sides of May's panties with both hands and yanked down off her butt and down her legs._

" _-oh!" May said in surprise. "Uh, taking initiative, are we?"_

_Misty wasn't listening. May's special place now lay bare before her, her pussy lips spread open for her just under her butthole._

_She laid one hand on the curve of May's butt to keep her steady while reaching up with her other hand to lay it right on May's sex, cupping her mound in her palm._

" _Oh,_ yeah," _May breathed. "That's…Yeah, you just keep doing_ whatever _you want."_

_Misty was about to do just that, but before she began, she was struck with a realization. "Uh, so…what do I do now?"_

_May paused. "Are you serious?"_

" _I already told you, I've never done this before!"_

" _Yeah, but you've touched yourself, right? Well, it's the same principle!"_

_Silence._

" _Misty?" May curved her body around to look back at her friend. "Getting awfully quiet back there."_

_Misty sighed. "No, I haven't."_

" _W-W-Wait,_ really?" _May laughed in disbelief. "Never? Really?"_

" _No! I haven't, okay?"_

_May suddenly jerked away. Scampering aroumd, she sat on her haunches to face Misty. "Are you being real with me here?" May demanded. "You've never…at all? Really?"_

_Misty's cheeks puffed out in annoyance. "No! I haven't!"_

_The concept honestly seemed alien to May. "So…you haven't ever even had an orgasm?"_

_Misty glared._

" _Oh." May blinked. And then she started to smile. It started small, just a perking up of the edges of her lips, but it quickly evolved into that wicked grin of hers. "Oh, this is a special night indeed!" she said, rubbing her palms together._

" _Er…" Misty wasn't sure how she felt about that. She backed up a little. "What do you-"_

_May pounced. Misty squeaked in surprise as May tackled her to the bed, pressing her back, and Misty found herself staring up at May's leering face._

" _Okay, let's just get rid of_ these _now," May said. With one arm pressed against the bed next to Misty's face, she reached down with the other to liberate Misty's hips from her panties, yanking them fully off. All the while, she never broke eye contact._

_Now fully nude, the two young girls stared deep into each other's eyes. Misty's breathing was coming out in quick, little pants, while May was taking in deep, shuddering breaths._

_This was it. This was the most exposed Misty had ever been, her young, nubile body now lay open like a flower for her friend._

Whimpering with mindless bliss, May fell over onto her side. She was going at it with both hands now, ravishing herself with her fingers, steadily building up to what promised to be an explosive climax.

_And May fully intended to drink her nectar. Bending down, May gave Misty one more kiss, this one brief, yet sweet. Then she moved herself back._

" _Finally," May breathed. Still lying flay on her back, Misty inclined her head to see May staring down at her pussy. Then, seeing May reach for it with her hands, Misty gulped and dropped her head again. She squeezed her eyes shut._

" _Thanks for the meal," May muttered, and then laid her fingers onto Misty's plump vulva lips. Misty had to bite the insides of her cheeks from moaning too loudly._

_Parting Misty's vulva like the petals of a flower, May brought her face in close enough that Misty could feel her warm breath in her insides. Then she felt the wet flickering of May's tongue over her entrance._

_Shaking fingers curled up, seizing handfuls of sheets as May licked and lapped at Misty's nectar, her lips pressed against the girl's slit. Pleasure unlike she had ever felt wracked Misty's body, and she writhed this way and that, struggling to keep her hips steady for May, though she couldn't keep her legs from kicking against the bed as May's tongue probed deeper into her dripping insides, slurping up her hot arousal._

" _That's it," May whispered as she hungrily nuzzled Misty's throbbing pussy, her fingers now stroking the space right over the slit, drawing out the hard nub of her clitoris. "That's my sweet, little mermaid. C'mon. You know you want to."_

_Misty couldn't keep a deep, hoarse growl from escaping. Something was building up. All the pleasure, all the excitement, all the fear that had been surging through her body was now collecting deep inside her groin, summoned by the ministrations of May's tongue. And it was growing stronger, growing larger, straining against the feeble dam holding it back, readying itself to burst, to flood her whole body with ecstasy._

" _C'mon," May said again. "We're alone. Let it go, and let me hear it. Let me hear you scream."_

_Oh, to hell with restraint!_

_The flood finally peaked, rising up and smashing through the dam, filling Misty with its warmth. And, with no reason not to, she let herself go, crying out in pleasure as she came for the first time, her small body convulsing helplessly beneath the power of her very first orgasm._

"ARGGHHHH!"

Motivated by the memory of her first time cumming, Misty finally surrendered herself to release. She clamped down with her hands, plunging them deep as her juices gushed out through her fingers. She had never thought that she would ever feel an orgasm as powerful as that first one, but this one was so strong that it felt like it was exploding out of her, consuming her whole with a tidal wave of beautiful agony. Her back arched, her hips thrust heavenward, as every muscle squeezed tight, and all Misty could do was let herself be carried on that wave into sweet bliss.

Finally her body stopped convulsing, allowing her to finally lay still, breathing slowly

There. It was done.

If Misty had felt drained before, now it was like her entire body had been thoroughly wrung out, and now all she wanted to do was lay in post-orgasmic bliss.

_You're still an electric-type, though._

_Yes, I know. I'll deal with that later._

_Your friends are waiting for you._

_They can wait a little longer. Let me sleep._

Misty's eyelids finally drooped, and she was able to relax for the first time since…wow, she couldn't even remember. Her first night as a PokeGirl had been kind spent kind of grumpily, she had been on edge with excitement and nervousness all of the following day, last night had been miserable, and all of the morning up until now had also been no fun.

Well, it was time to make up for lost time. She shuffled her panties and shorts back up in case of any passersby and let herself sink into the warm embrace of sleep.

However, before she was allowed to drift off entirely, a shadow fell over her, blotting out the sun.

Frowning, Misty mumbled, "May, that better not be you."

There was no response, though the shadow did shift, as if it were tilting its head.

Sighing, Misty cracked her eyes open.

A round, yellow face was peering down at her, mere centimeters away from her eyes.

"Pika-Pika!"

Misty's eyes snapped fully open. Yup, there was a Pokemon staring at her, rodent with yellow fur, pink spots on its cheeks, and a jagged tail that it held stiffly out.

"What in the…" Then she groaned and turned over. A Pikachu. Of course, it would be a Pikachu. Because what better way to celebrate being rejected by her own water Pokemon than to attract the attention of a fellow electric-type.

"Pika? Pika-pi!"

Groaning, Misty rolled over onto her side and sat up. "What do you want?" she demanded grumpily.

The Pikachu sat in place and stared right back at her, its little nose twitching. "Chu?"

Misty planted an elbow in her lap and her chin on her fist. "Go away," she said, shooing it with her hand. "I'm not in the mood."

The Pikachu was not getting the hint. Instead of leaving her alone, it proceeded to do the opposite, loping towards her instead. "Pika?"

Misty cringed back as it placed its forepaws on her leg and looked up at her. What was with this thing? Usually wild Pokemon didn't get this close unless they were looking for a fight.

Then she heard the sound of splashing, as someone was coming toward her, wading through the shallows. "Chuey!" the piping voice of a young child called. "Where are you?"

"Oh," Misty said. "Guess you belong to someone."

"Pi!"

Moments later that someone came sloshing into view. It was a small boy, younger than even Ash, wearing baggy green pants and a yellow tunic. He had on a wide straw coolie over his bright yellow hair.

"Chuey, there you are!" he exclaimed as he came ashore.

"Pika!" The Pikachu bounded toward him and leapt into his arms.

"And you made a friend!" the boy said, scratching the happy rodent around its cheeks. "See, I knew that dried up Professor Oak was wrong about you! You are the friendly type after all. Uh, hello!"

Misty sighed. "Hey," she said, waving at him. Great, now she had _visitors!_

…

"Wait," Ash said, cupping a hand to his ear. "Do you hear that?"

Nidoran immediately raised its head and sniffed. Its ears twitched. "Nido!" it exclaimed.

"Yeah, I do," May said, rising. "Somebody's there!"

The two exchanged a single look. Then, as if on cue, they all bolted to where Misty had gone, with Nidoran bounding along not far behind. Giving Misty her privacy was one thing, but they weren't going to have her disturbed by any random weirdo that so happened along.

…

"Are you a trainer too?" the boy asked.

A trainer? Kids his age having a Pokemon as a pet was pretty common, but not as a traveling trainer. "I guess I am," Misty said, though it galled her that that was now in question.

"That's great!" the boy said, grinning. "I've been a trainer for a couple days now. Pikachu's my starter, and my best friend! But I've also caught-"

Right about then he was interrupted by the sound of hurried footsteps. "Hey! Leave her alone!" Ash called as he basically galloped into the scene.

"Misty, are you all right?" May said as she arrived with him.

Nidoran leapt out in front of them, already in the defensive position.

Misty sighed. "Guys, relax. This kid's not going to do anything. He's-"

"Ash?" the boy said, placing the Pikachu down.

Ash froze. "Wait…is that…"

"Ash!" The boy joyfully threw himself at Ash, wrapping both arms around Ash's middle, almost tackling him to the ground.

As he did, his wide hat slipped off, and Misty saw an incredibly long ponytail of yellow hair become unraveled and fly out behind him.

For his part, Ash didn't seem to care for running into this kid, judging by the way he was recoiling away from the boy's enthusiastic embrace.

"Uh, you know this guy?" May asked.

"Yeah," Ash sighed, his shoulder slumping. "She's in my class."

Misty and May both stiffened. "Wait," Misty said. _"She?_ You mean that's a-"

"Hello!" The kid released Ash and turned to wave at the two PokeGirls with a broad grin. "I'm Yellow! Nice to meet you!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: What?
> 
> Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?
> 
> Oh, relax! Put those torches, pitchforks, and salt-shakers down! Look, I know y'all were looking forward to Ash and Misty doing the dew, but c'mon. I've got all of Kanto to get through, and it's only like day three or something. It wouldn't make sense to get that going right off the bat. That shit's gotta be earned! Besides, it's a harem fic, and harem's are all about the teasing.
> 
> I will make a point to stick something steamy into every chapter though.
> 
> Anyway! This chapter was actually going to be a lot longer and would have gone into a traditional Pokemon episode plot with Ash and co. meeting a guest character and helping them with a Pokemon-related issue (only with more nudity), but then Misty's fantasy started to get a little long, and I realized that Yellow's introduction would actually be a good place to end things, so all that plot stuff will happen next time.
> 
> Also reiterating what I said about most characters getting a personality reboot, so Yellow's not going to be completely faithful to her depiction in the manga. So, no weird Viridian Forest healing powers and all that.
> 
> And yes, that is the Pikachu. Its new nickname is pronounced like "Chewy." And now that you know who ended up with it, three guesses as to who has Charmander and Bulbasaur, the first two don't count.
> 
> And finally! After every update I usually get a lot of people asking me when the next chapter will be out, so I'll just say this now. Sorry guys, but I don't have a timetable. Remember that I got a lot of other stuff going on, and the first few chapters only came out so quickly because I got this idea while on vacation and did a bunch of writing all in one go and just sort of chopped what I had into chapters when I got back and started throwing them online. But I don't have any prewritten material anymore and no way of knowing when new chapters will ready, so new chapters will be done when they're done.
> 
> But you can safely assume that no matter how long that it's been since the last update, I am out there somewhere steadily writing Pokemon smut, because I guess this is my life now.


	9. Trainin' the Trainers!

_Prologue…_

It was just supposed to have been a regular training session. Go fight some wild Pokemon, gain a little experience, strengthen the bond between PokeGirl and trainer, that sort of thing. No one could have anticipated the horror show it would become.

"Okay, Sally! You've got 'im on the ropes! Now, use _high jump kick!"_

There were four of them: three humans, and one Pokemon. The humans were all young women, one of them shouting commands, one of them eagerly obeying, and one lazily lounging over a sun-warmed boulder, watching the whole thing in amusement.

The one shouting orders was named Violet. At twenty years old, she had a sort of mousy, bookish appearance, with a dark purple skirt over black leggings and a shapeless black sweater hiding her figure. Her dark hair was straight and just barely touched her shoulders, and was held back by a red headband, and she wore a large pair of glasses over her freckled face, giving her a bit of an owlish look. At a look one might assume that she was shy, demure, and easily frightened. Those who made those assumptions tended to be quickly corrected.

The energetic lass she was shouting orders at was young, only having turned sixteen a month ago, making her _just_ within the legal age to be caught. She was small and petite, with light brown hair flowing down her back and a slender figure. She was wearing what once had been a school uniform, though it had been altered to better suit a PokeGirl, with the shirt having been cut away to bare her midriff and her arms, and it was held closed only by a single button. Her skirt, which had once covered all of her thighs at least, now barely cleared her hips, and even when she was merely walking it would quickly become apparent that she wasn't wearing underwear.

Her white stockings, which came up to just below her knee, were unharmed, though.

At her trainer's command, Sally took a running start and leapt into the air. She singled in on her target, a dazed Sandshrew that was still reeling from her last attack, and launched herself at it, fists clenched at her sides, one legs stretched out and her meager skirt fluttering freely around her naked waist.

Sally had come across Violet about a week ago and had immediately challenged her to a battle. As she only had a single Poliwag that she had picked up that same day, had not been the least bit disappointed about losing, and had since ranted at length about her failing grades and how her parents were on the verge of disowning her, Violet had gotten the impression that Sally hadn't seen much of an academic future for herself and had felt that becoming a PokeGirl was a rational career choice. At least then she got super powers, no homework, and regular orgasms.

Janessa, the third woman, was the eldest, a tall, blonde beauty of twenty-seven years. She was a very lucky catch for Violet, as she had the look of a supermodel, with a pair of very lovely legs that her tight black pants accentuated rather than hid, honey-gold curls that were perfectly coifed at all times, piercing green eyes, and an impressive bust that was barely covered by the dark blue bikini top she wore. She had draped herself over a nearby stone to watch her junior's performance.

Unlike Sally, Janessa had actually been trying to win when she had challenged Violet about six months prior. She had been wanting a PokeGirl of her own to play with for some time, and felt that the cute little nerd that had strolled into town would do nicely. This…hadn't worked out like she had planned, but she had since come to terms with her new life. After all, there was still plenty of playing.

Also, she could shoot balls of ice from her hands and call down hail. That was a definite plus.

The Pokemon was a large, mean-looking blue and yellow reptile with a large, toothy mouth and a row of red spines going down the back of its head like a mohawk, a Croconaw. Violet had raised it from a Totodile, ever since she had first left Fuchsia City over a year prior. It was standing next to where Janessa was lounging, also watching the newest member of their party get brought into fighting shape.

Sally's foot hit the Sandshrew right between the eyes, knocking it flying. It bounced and rolled its way through the grass before coming to a rest flat on its back, limbs and tail spread, unfocused eyes staring at the sky, completely senseless.

"Yes!" Violet cheered, pumping her arm. "Got it!"

As for Sally, she had also fallen flat on her back, though that was from exhilaration rather than any damage she had taken. She panted heavily, her small bust rapidly rising and falling as she gasped and giggled in happiness.

Then, still on her back, she thrust both fists into the sky. "WOOHOO!" she cried. "Did you see that? Did you see it _fly?"_

"I did!" Violet said encouragingly. She was so proud of her new friend, and so happy to have met her. Obedient PokeGirls were, of course, awesome, but ones that clearly loved what they were doing and had fun with it were just the best. "Way to go!"

"Yeah, great going, kid," Janessa said. "You're really getting the hang of this!"

"Croco!" rumbled Croconaw.

Behind them, where the leafy border of the Viridian Forest rose up, came the sound of shuffling. They all ignored it, dismissing it as the wind.

Sally bunched up her legs and thrust them out, kipping right up to her feet. "Cool!" she said. "I can do that jumping straight up from lying down thing!" She took a few wobbling steps but managed to keep her balance.

"Yeah, it's real neat, isn't it?" Janessa said as Sally tried to stumble her way to the rest of the group. "One minute you have a hard time opening a bag of potato chips, and the next you're flipping cars and-"

"Cro-"

"-yeah, what it said." She glanced over to where Croconaw was standing. "I'm just gonna assume that was…"

Her voice trailed off. Croconaw was gone.

"Uh…Vi-Vi?" Janessa said, sitting up.

Violet was helping Sally take a seat and giving her a water bottle. "Yeah?"

"Where'd Croccy go?" The hairs on the back of Janessa's neck were standing up. Something felt very wrong. "I swear it was right-"

Croconaw's limp body slammed into the ground right in the middle of them.

All three women leapt to their feet with cries of alarm. Croconaw was nearly unconscious, its face a mass of bruises.

"Croccy!" Violet cried as she rushed in to help her first Pokemon. "What happened? What?"

"Wait!" Janessa held up a hand in warning. There was something wrapped around Croconaw's neck, something that looked like a yellowish-green rope, one that stretched out from its limp body over to the trees and-

Then the rope curved up, lifting Croconaw with it. It was then that they all realized that it was not a rope at all, but a vine.

The vine slammed down once again, this time unwrapping itself from Croconaw's neck and slithering away. Croconaw lay perfectly still.

"Shit!" Janessa whirled around, frost collecting around her fists. Behind her, Violet was crouching over Croconaw's unconscious form, while Sally held her fists in front of her, her eyes fearfully darting back and forth.

"Come on, come on," Janessa muttered as she scanned their surroundings for any sign of their assailant. "Where are-"

Then something wrapped around her ankle.

Over by Croconaw, Violet was anxiously looking her oldest friend over, praying that it was okay. Fortunately it was still breathing, but whatever had hit it had done so hard enough to get through its incredibly thick skull, and had done so in a matter of _seconds!_

Then she heard a scream.

Janessa had fallen to the ground and was struggling with the vine that had gotten her by the leg. She tried to kick it off, tried to shoot it off with blasts of ice, but it writhed and twisted around, deftly avoiding all of her attacks.

Then two more vines rose up from the grass, curving around like a pair of Arboks ready to strike, and lunged forward. They seized Janessa by the waist, hooking the waistline of her pants. A swift yank, and they were pulled down to her knees. Another yank, and they were gone.

"Janny!" Sally cried, and rushed forward to help. But as she did, yet another vine appeared out of nowhere, wrapping around both of her legs and pinning them together. With a cry of fear and surprise she fell.

Petrified by fear, Violet stared in horror as a vine wrapped around Janessa's wrists and ankles and held her down while another grabbed onto her bikini top and pulled it right off, causing her breasts to bounce free.

"Help!" Janessa screamed. "Violet, help me!"

Shaken out her stupor, Violet rose to her feet. "Hang on!" she said, pulling out Ponyta and Tauros's pokeballs. "I'll get you-"

She didn't get to so much as expand them.

A sharp _crack,_ and Ponyta's pokeball was sent flying from her hand, leaving her with stinging fingers. A _snap,_ and Tauros was knocked from her hands.

Before Violet could process what had happen, something long, thin, and fast came whipping through the air, right at her face.

The next thing Violet knew, she was lying on her side, staring off at nothing. Her eyes were refusing to focus, and her thoughts kept spinning. Where was she? Was she in a Pokemon battle? Had an attack gone stray and hit her by mistake?

Squeezing her eyes shut, she violently shook her head to clear the cobwebs. Right, right, some crazy vine monster was attacking her and her friends, and she needed to help him. Once she felt that she had managed to refocus her thoughts, she opened her eyes again.

What she saw was horrible beyond anything she could have imagined.

Janessa was lying limp, either asleep or unconscious, her body now fully wrapped up by yellow vines. As Violet stared in horror, the vines retracted, dragging Janessa into the shadows of Viridian Forest.

"Vi-Vi!" she heard Sally scream. "Please! Help!"

Sally was pinned down much like Janessa had been. A vine was snaking up between her legs, beneath her skirt, up her stomach to curl around the front of her shirt. It pulled up, and her shirt and skirt were both torn open.

As Sally continued to struggle, the vines holding her suddenly released a cloud of noxious blue smoke. She shuddered once, and then her eyes rolled back and closed, her whole body going limp.

The vines then encased her just like they had Janessa and dragged her off.

"No," Violet gasped as she struggled to get to her feet. If she could just get to her feet, she could recover her pokeballs where they had been knocked away from her. If she could do that, she could summon help, she could stop this from happening, she could _save_ them.

Then came the whistling sound again, and caught just the briefest of glimpses of a vine whipping right for her head again.

When Violet came to, it was too late. Her stuff was still where she had left it, Croconaw only just coming to as well, Ponta and Tauros's pokeballs still where they had fallen.

But Janessa and Sally were both gone, swallowed up by the forest.

It was too late. She had failed.

…

Everyone had a completely different reaction to the introduction of what seemed to be Ash's old friend, Yellow.

Ash himself did not look pleased with the situation. Actually, he looked like he would much rather be anywhere else, and was burying his face in one while the other was clenched into a fist at his side.

May was gawking openly, her eyes flitting from Yellow's grinning face to Ash's exasperated expression, the wheels clearly turning in her head as she processed multiple possible explanations at once.

Nidoran and Yellow's Pikachu stood across from each other, watching the humans interact with mirrored expressions of puzzlement, clearly not sure what to make of their larger companions' reactions.

And Misty was just staring stone-faced right at Ash, her flashing green eyes burrowing holes into his head.

It was a tense situation, one that nobody was really sure how to address.

Finally May lifted her fist to her mouth, coughed loudly, and said, "So…Ash! You're the only one who seems to know everyone here. Why don't you introduce us all?"

In answer, Ash dropped his hand, stared pleadingly skyward, and silently muttered what appeared to be a prayer for salvation. But then he sighed and said, "Okay, _fine._ Misty? May? This is Yellow. And she is-"

"His ex-girlfriend!" Yellow exclaimed, throwing her arms around Ash's bicep.

Misty and May's jaw dropped in perfect synchronization.

Ash pushed Yellow off of him. "That was in the first grade, it doesn't count!"

Yellow balled up her fists and planted them on her hips. "It did too count!"

"No, it did not! Besides, you dumped me for Gary in the second grade!"

"Wait, she did what now?" Misty said flatly.

"Oh yeah, I did," Yellow said, thoughtfully tapping her lower lip. "You were pretty mad about that."

A vein of pure frustration was making itself visible right over Ash's left eye. "Was I now," Ash said. It clearly was not a question. "You don't say."

"But I dumped him in the third grade for Leaf!"

" _Who?"_ May said.

"That doesn't make it better!" Ash snapped. "And you broke up with Leaf in the fourth grade and started dating Red! You went through our entire group!"

May raised her hand. "Does anyone else feel like they're coming across season twelve of a long-running sitcom or something?"

"Boy, and I thought my sisters' love lives were complicated," Misty remarked, her own ire now being replaced with confusion and no small amount of curiosity.

"Well, Red dumped me earlier this year to go out with Leaf, so I don't know what _you're_ complaining about," Yellow said as she sulkily folded her arms.

Ash folded his arms as well. "Well, maybe that just proves that Red's the smart one!"

"Oh, like we didn't already know that." Then Yellow looked Ash up and down, her left eyebrow quirked.

Ash moved back. "What?"

"How come you didn't start dating Gary?" Yellow demanded.

May snorted loudly.

" _What?"_ Ash said, his voice rising to a cracking squeak. "Dating… _Gary?"_

"Well, Red and Leaf started dating after they dated me. And I dated you two first, so it only makes sense. Besides, you guys spent so much time together that I honestly thought that you _were_ dating for a while."

"Are you _serious?_ Why would I want to go out with that backstabbing jerk in the first place? He's done nothing but pick on me for the last couple of years!"

Yellow just shrugged. "Everyone has their own way of flirting."

Snickering, May leaned in close to Misty. "I'm starting to like this girl," she whispered.

Misty shot her a frosty look.

Ash, however, wasn't as charmed as May was. "Well, forget that! Even if I liked boys, there's no way I'd ever go out with that jerk!"

"You used to be best friends!"

"Yeah, but that was _before_ he turned into a jerk!"

Yellow made a face. "I liked it better when you guys weren't fighting. It was more fun."

"Blame him, not me! It's not like _you_ did anything to help!"

Yellow sighed. "I hate how screwed up things got. Hey, did you know that he, Leaf, and Red were the other three to get starters from Professor Oak? It was like a big reunion!"

Ash froze. "Wait, they did?"

"Yup! Gary got his first, because of _course_ he did, but Red was right after him, and he got the Charmander! And Leaf got the Bulbasaur!" Yellow then knelt down to affectionately squish her Pikachu's cheeks with her hands. "And I got this little handsome guy here, didn't I, Chuey? Yes I did!"

"Pika!" Chuey chirped happily.

"Did you know that Professor Oak warned me that Chuey had an attitude problem? What rubbish! All it took was a little patience and kindness, and now we're best friends!" Then Yellow glanced over her shoulder at Ash. "Though I was really surprised that you weren't there, Ash. After hearing you go _on_ and _on,_ I would've thought that you'd be the first one there!"

"I…" Ash's shoulders slumped. "I overslept," he muttered.

"Oh." Yellow went back to stroking Chuey. "Well, that was really dumb."

"I know that! You think I don't know that? Because I clearly know-"

Seeing that Misty, May, and Nidoran were all staring at his uncharacteristic outburst of anger, Ash cut himself off. He inhaled deeply, sucking in air through his clenched teeth, and then slowly let it out.

"Ahem," he said, clearing his throat. "Well, it worked out anyway. I'm a trainer now too!"

"You are?" Scooping Chuey up into her arms, Yellow bounded up and rushed back to Ash. "Oh, lemme see your starter!"

Ash smirked. "As you wish." He stepped back, and with a ringleader's flourish, swept his hands down in a grand gesture. "Yellow? Meet…Nidoran!"

Nidoran tilted its head to one side. "Nido?"

"Oh, great choice!" Yellow exclaimed. "Where'd you get it?"

"I caught it!" Ash said, proudly thumping his chest. "Like a proper trainer should!"

"Yeah, but he had some help," May muttered.

Still bundled up in Yellow's arms, Chuey started down at Nidoran, who stared right back. Then the little Pikachu squirmed out of his trainer's grasp to go bounding over to the purple poison-type.

"Pikachu?" Chuey said, raising one ear and lowering the other.

"Nidoran?" came the response.

Then Chuey reached out with one paw and poked Nidoran's horn.

Nidoran stiffened in shock at the breach of etiquette. Then it bristled.

"NIDORAN!"

"PIKA!"

The two Pokemon were now face-to-face, both of them scowling, Nidoran's spines glistening with poison, while sparks flew out of Chuey's cheeks to crackle all over its body.

Then a sneakered foot slammed down in between them.

The two squabbling Pokemon leapt back in surprise. Then they both looked up to see Misty glowering down at them, her arms folded, a crackling yellow aura surging around her, her eyes glowing the same sparking color.

Misty locked eyes with the two of them and slowly shook her head.

The two Pokemon both ran the numbers in their heads and came to the same conclusion: angering the giant electric girl would probably be poor discretion on their part, and thoroughly chastised, the each retreated back to the safety of their trainers, though not before shooting one last glare at one from across Misty's foot. Still, it had gotten them to stop quarreling.

However, their trainers were not quite so dissuaded.

"Hey, what's the big idea!" Ash snapped, stepping in front of the disgruntled Nidoran and spreading his arms wide. "Your little rat just tried to pick a fight!"

"Chuey is not a rat!" Yellow snapped back as she scooped Chuey up into her arms. "And it was just being friendly!"

"Friendly? That wasn't friendly! That was-"

"Ahem!" Misty coughed.

Ash and Yellow both turned toward the increasingly irritated PokeGirls.

"Sorry to break up this ex's quarrel," Misty said. "But, uh, we're still here, you know."

"Oh, right," Ash sighed. "Yellow, these are my new friends. Um, the one with the red hair is Misty, and the one with the bandanna is May. I met them the other day on the road, and now we're traveling together!"

"Oh, hiiiiiiiii!" Yellow sang, all of her irritation suddenly replaced by joyful exuberance.

"Uh, yo," May said with a halfhearted wave. Misty just nodded.

"So are you two trainers too?" Yellow said. If she picked up at all on the coldness being directed toward her, she didn't show it.

"Uh, me? No," May said. She tilted her head toward Misty. "Her? Yes."

"Huh." Yellow then walked up to Misty and leaned in close. Clearly uncomfortable with the violation of her personal space, Misty grimaced and drew away from her.

"Er, could you not?" Misty said. "I mean, I don't really know you, so-"

"You smell like sex!" Yellow exclaimed.

May had to slap both hands over her mouth to keep from bursting into raucous laughter.

Ash's jaw dropped open. "…eeeeeee…" he squeaked, the blood draining from his face.

Misty, however, wasn't fazed. "Yeah," she said. "That's because I've been masturbating."

Ash's squeak turned into a choking sound of strangulation.

"Oh, you have?" Yellow said, clasping her hands in excitement. "I've always wanted to try it, but no one would show me how! Can you teach me?"

That was too much for May. "BWAHAHAHA!" she guffawed, falling to her knees and slamming her fist into the ground in hysterics. "Okay, you know what? I didn't know what to make of you, but man, I think I like you!"

"Aw, thank you!" Yellow beamed.

Misty shot May a venomous look. "Traitor," she hissed.

Ash looked from Yellow, to May, and then to Misty with bleak eyes. It would seem that May had been spot-on about his luck, and if being humiliated in front of his entire hometown, screwed over by Alexander, attacked by Spearows, caught in a storm, nearly getting Misty killed, and attacked and almost killed by Team Rocket had been what he had to endure to be able to start his adventure with Misty and May, and if those repeated Pokemon hunting failures from the day before had been what he needed to endure in order to catch Nidoran, then whatever karmic reward was waiting for him for having Yellow just dropped into his life better be absolutely fantastic.

…

Things got no less uncomfortable back at camp, at least for half the group.

Ash and Misty glumly sat side-by-side, their hands on their knees, staring down at the ground as May chatted with Yellow like old friends, May enthusiastically pumping Yellow for every bit of information she could about Ash.

"So did you ever kiss?" May said. "If so, how good was he? Oh, did you use tongue? How did he taste?"

Yellow giggled. "No, silly! Of course not! We were in the first grade! I didn't even know what kissing even was until I was with Leaf!"

"And Leaf is a girl, right?"

"Right! I liked it; it was fun!"

"Oh, I know, right? Girls are just so pretty, and kissing them is so much fun! Right, Misty?"

Misty groaned and buried her face in her palms.

"Oh, you've kissed?" Yellow said. "That's so sweet! Have you kissed Ash yet?"

"Nope, not yet! But we've got all of Kanto to get through, so we have plenty of time."

"Ooooh!" Yellow squealed. "So bold!"

Ash merely blinked. "Kill me," he muttered. "Right now. Something kill me, please. Nidoran, could you please poison me? Be a pal?"

Nidoran looked at him in concern.

"So how did you all meet?" Yellow said, stretching her legs out in front of her. "Because I don't think I've ever seen either one of you around Pallet Town!"

"Oh, we're not from around here," May said. "But it went a little something like this: first Misty saved Ash's life, then Ash saved Misty's life, then I saved Ash's life, then Ash saved my life, and now we're friends!"

"Probably not for much longer if she keeps this up," Misty muttered so only Ash could hear.

"Can't you…just put her back into her human ball?" Ash muttered back.

"That's so sweet!" Yellow exclaimed, clasping her hands against her cheek. "But it doesn't surprise me that Ash needed so much saving. He's just so _helpless!"_

"Hey, I am not!"

"Hmmm." Yellow primly pulled out a canteen and sipped from it with all the gravity of a snooty old lady sipping from a cup of tea. "Remember the time you went chasing Krabbies down the river but ended up getting swept away and we spent all afternoon looking for you and when we found you were stuck between two branches of a fallen log?"

Ash's face burned. All of that was true, but…

"Also, you had somehow lost your trunks, so the first thing any of us saw was your naked butt sticking into the air?"

May started cackling again. "Are you serious? Oh, please tell me you took pictures! I need to see pictures!"

"Yeah, uh, well…I fought off Team Rocket!" Ash blurted out.

Yellow stopped snickering. "Uh, huh?"

"It's true! I was at the Viridian City PokeCenter when they attacked us! They blew their way through the roof and tried to kidnap us!"

"No, they were trying to kidnap me and Misty and Nurse Joy," May said. "I'm pretty sure they wanted to kill you."

"Well, that just makes it more dangerous! And I still fought them off and got us away!"

"Hey, what's this 'you' fought them off business? I'm the one who took out that Sableye, Meowth, Raticate, and Ekans! And I had to do that last one twice."

"Yeah, well, _I_ took out the Houndour and both of the Grunts! We all worked together to beat them! And I don't even-"

Misty stealthily kicked the side of her foot against Ash's ankle. Realizing how close he had come to blowing May's status as a PokeGirl, Ash shut up.

Fortunately, Yellow didn't seem to have noticed the slip. "Wow," she said, her eyes shining. _"Wow!_ Is _that_ why the PokeCenter was all wrecked and surrounded by police?"

"Pretty much!" May said.

"That sounds terrifying!"

"It was!" May slammed her fist into her own palm. "But it was _awesome!"_

"Cool! Maybe Ash isn't so hopeless as a trainer after all!"

Ash made a sound like a muffled teakettle.

"Oh, he didn't use Pokemon," May said casually. "He didn't have Nidoran yet. He had to beat them off…beat them off, hehe…with his bare fists and fire extinguishers!"

"Oh, wow, then he must've just caught Nidoran really recently!"

"Yesterday!"

Yellow grinned. "Then you're a little bitty baby trainer, Ash!"

"I…well…so are you! You only got _your_ starter two days ago!"

"Yeah, but I'm already building up a team! Look!" Yellow pulled out a pair of pokeballs and then sent them spinning.

Out of them materialized two very different Pokemon, one a large bird with a rather fancy plumage and the other something that looked like an overgrown string bean. With eyes.

Ash blanched. A Pidgeotto and a Metapod? _Two_ second tier evolutions? Already?

"Pi-Pi over there tried to pick a fight with Chuey, so Chuey zapped it and I caught it!" Yellow declared, throwing one arm around the large bird's neck. The Pidgeotto looked a little embarrassed by the show of affection but tolerated it. "And I caught Stringy when it was a little baby Caterpie!" She looped her other arm around the Metapod and pulled it right off the ground to cuddle. "But it helped save me from a bunch of angry Beedrills, so it evolved into a Metapod! Isn't that cool?"

May whistled through her teeth. _"Damn,_ girl! You have been busy!"

"A trainer's work is never done!" Yellow recalled her two other Pokemon and put the pokeballs away. "What about you, Ash? What else have you caught?"

Ash sighed. "Nothing yet," he muttered.

"Why not?"

"I…Mind your own business! I've been busy! Besides, I just got Nidoran! I need to take some time and train it a little first!"

Nidoran loud a proud snort and nodded its head in a show of solidarity.

"You can only train one Pokemon at a time?" Yellow said. "Why? Wouldn't it be smarter to have them spar with one another and learn teamwork?"

Ash…hadn't thought of that.

"I mean, it only makes sense," Yellow added with a shrug.

At her side, her Pikachu started snickering.

Seeing this, Nidoran growled.

The Pikachu yawned in response. Then it got up, turned around, and smacked its rear at Nidoran.

That did it.

Snarling, Nidoran leapt at the smug Pikachu, eyes flashing with malice.

"Hey!" Ash threw himself on Nidoran, pinning it to the ground. "What did I say? No fighting!"

Nidoran growled and struggled to free itself so it could get at the mocking rodent.

"Ash," Misty said flatly. "Just put it back into its pokeball."

Oh. Right.

"Sorry, buddy," Ash muttered as he pulled out Nidoran's pokeball and pointed it at the cranky Pokemon. "But now's not the time!"

Nidoran dissolved and was sucked up into the small metal sphere.

"You really ought to train it better," Yellow remarked. "It shouldn't be misbehaving like that."

Panting, Ash pushed himself up onto his elbows to glower at her. "Oh, don't give me that! Your Pikachu was the one who started it!"

"Oh, Chuey wouldn't do something like that!" Yellow said, gathering the stupid little rat into her arms and nuzzling its face. "It's much too polite!"

Chuey returned the happy cuddle, but when Yellow's eyes were closed, it smugly locked eyes with Ash and smirked.

Right. That was enough.

Ash stood up abruptly and walked off.

"Ash?" Yellow said, sounding honestly bewildered. Which, knowing Yellow, she probably _was_. "What's wrong?"

"Hey, where are _you_ going?" May called after him, the singsong flow of her voice telling him that she knew exactly why he was leaving and was enjoying it far too much.

"Somewhere else!" Ash snapped over his shoulder. "Anywhere else!"

As he stomped off, he heard May laughing.

Oh, this was just the worst. At least when May teased him, he had a good chance of seeing her naked. But now that Yellow was joining in, it was just infuriating!

Ash kept walking into the forest until he was out of earshot of the camp so he wouldn't have to listen to the two of them making fun of him.

Sighing, he plopped down on a rock

This was just the worst. Why was his luck so bad? Part of the reason he had wanted to be a trainer so badly was to get _away_ from all that, to start anew and be his own man without having to worry about that bunch ever again.

But here Yellow was, back again and ticking him off like she always did, and acting like nothing was wrong even though _she knew darned well what she did-_

Then he heard footsteps crunching through the leaves. Looking up, he saw Misty walking toward him, her backpack slung over one shoulder, the look on her face as flat as his own.

The two stared wordlessly at each other for a moment, each conveying their shared exasperation with their respective friends. Then Misty sighed and sat down against a tree, one shapely leg stretched out on the ground with the other drawn up.

"So," she said after a bit. "May has made…a _friend."_

"Yup," Ash said.

"May has found a kindred spirit."

"She did," Ash agreed.

"Who so happens to be your ex."

Ash winced. "She's not my ex! First grade doesn't count!"

"Yellow doesn't seem to think so."

"Yeah, well, Yellow thinks a lot of things!"

"Hmmm. And she dates a lot of people. Including Gary."

Ash buried his face in his hands with a groan.

"So…is that why everything went sour with you two?"

"Who?" Ash muttered around his hands. "Me and Yellow, or me and Gary?"

"Either/or."

"Then no! Gary was still nice then, and Yellow was just being…Yellow. Gary only got mean when Yellow was 'dating' Leaf!" Ash removed his hands from his face to make quotation marks in the air. "And Yellow only got _really_ annoying when she broke up with Leaf and started dating Red!"

"She does seem to get around," Misty remarked. "I hope May doesn't end up adopting her or anything."

…

"Uh…" Yellow said as Misty stomped off, grabbing up a blue backpack as she went. "Are you…okay? Where are you going?" When Misty ignored her, Yellow turned to May. "Where's she going? Is she going after Ash? Is she mad? Is Ash mad?"

"Aw, don't worry about them," May said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "They'll be fine. Let them sulk."

Yellow still looked worried. "Okay, but…"

"In fact, now that they're gone, we can do something _really_ special!"

Her brow furrowing, Yellow tilted her head in confusion.

"You wanted someone to teach you how to masturbate, right?" May pounded her own chest with her fist. "Well, I'm your girl!"

At this, Yellow lit up. "Oh, really? You'll do that for me?"

"Sure! I mean, masturbating's one of life's universal pleasures. Everyone ought to learn how!"

"Oh, thank you! That's very considerate of you!"

May beamed. Misty had once sarcastically referred to her as a corrupting presence, someone who would pervert everyone around her until they were just as deviant as she was.

It was a badge that she wore with pride.

"Okay, let's get started then! And the first thing you're going to need to do is take off your pants."

…

"Oh, please tell me Yellow's not coming with us," Ash said, his tone pleading.

Misty shrugged. "It's your adventure, so that's up to you. But I don't know her, and you do. If she wanted to follow, would we be able to stop her?"

Ash blinked.

And then he groaned loudly. "Oh, no," he said, burying his face in his hands.

"So…Ash?" Misty said after a bit.

"What?" he said without raising his head.

"Why…do you hate Yellow so much? I mean, sure, she's kind of…"

"Annoying?"

"Well, I was going to say 'excitable.'"

Sighing, Ash straightened up. "I don't _hate_ her, it's just that she doesn't know when to _stop!_ She's always pushing her nose where it doesn't belong, never backs off when you tell her to, and you can't trust her with _anything,_ because the second she learns anything embarrassing about you, she'll immediately blab to everyone else. And the worst part, she never understands when you tell her what she did wrong, it's infuriating!"

…

"My pants?"

"Yeah, like this!" May said, hitching up her skirt to hook her thumbs into the waist of her bike shorts. She pushed them down to her knees, wriggling them a bit to get them around her butt. Then she sat down on the log and spread her legs.

Across from her, Yellow copied her the best she could, pulling up the flaps of her tunic and pulling down her pants. Moments later her panties came down as well, and, with a somewhat nervous smile, opened her legs as well, letting May get a good look at her cute little snatch. May hummed in appreciation. It was a lovely shade of pink with long, thin lips that nestled quite nicely between Yellow's thighs.

"Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice," she purred.

Yellow grinned. Unlike Ash, she seemed to have a complete lack of shame: not due to any sort of exhibitionist tendencies or having an inherently degenerate nature like May did, she just seemed like the kind who didn't know what embarrassment even was, which was actually pretty adorable. "Thanks!" she said, beaming.

"Okay, so, next you're going to take your fingers like this," May said, laying a hand on her own moistening sex. "And since you've never done this before, we're going to take things _real_ slow."

…

"All right, fine!" Misty suddenly straightened up. "I'm not going to just stand around doing nothing. Ash, let Nidoran out and let's go."

"Wait, huh?" Ash said as he stood up. "Where are we going?"

Misty was already stomping toward the field. "Just because I'm having a bad day doesn't mean everyone has to! You wanted me to teach you Pokemon training, right? So let's get started with that!"

Ash's eyes popped wide open. "Wait, you mean it? All right!"

He hastily pulled out Nidoran's pokeball and summoned up the little poisonous creature. Nidoran materialized, still bristling and ready to fight. But when, from its perspective, its surroundings abruptly shifted, it stiffened and looked around in confusion.

Then it looked up at Ash and, seemingly putting two and two together, let out a disgruntled sigh.

"Sorry," Ash said, and he meant it. He really would have rather let Nidoran beat that smug rat senseless. "But I couldn't let you get into a fight."

Nidoran huffed in contempt.

"Well, tell you what: Misty is going to help us train, and the next time that dumb Pikachu tries to pick a fight, you'll be ready to kick its zig-zag butt! How's that sound?"

At this, Nidoran's ears immediately perked up, and its lips parted in a slow, almost sadistic smile.

"That's the spirit!" Ash waved it on. "Let's go!"

He hurried to catch up with Misty, Nidoran bounding along right at his heels.

The two followed Misty out until they were deep into the tall grass. "All right," she said, placing her hands on her hips. "Now, I've been watching you."

Though he knew what she meant, Ash still blushed a little at the insinuation. "Oh, uh, y-yeah?"

"Uh-huh! And you've already learned most of the basics, right?"

Ash knelt down to scratch behind Nidoran's ears. "Oh yeah! I spent a whole month at Trainer's Camp a couple years ago, and I've been reading every manual I can get my hands on!"

"Great, that's make things easier!" Then Misty frowned, and started thoughtfully rubbing her chin. "Or maybe not, since it makes it hard to figure out where to start…"

"Well, I…"

Then Misty snapped her fingers. "I know! Okay, so we'll figure out the gaps in what you need to know as we go along, but today, we're going to focus on one of the most basic but most important things every good trainer needs to master!"

Now this was what Ash was talking about! "All right!" he said, straightening up and snapping off a soldier's salute. "What is it?"

"Grinding!"

Ash…blinked.

Grinding? As if in…

His gaze involuntarily slid down Misty's body to center on her denim-covered groin. He could picture it unclothed quite easily in his head, as he now knew what it looked like underneath. And hadn't she just said that she had been masturbating recently? Because if so…

"Huh?" Misty tilted her head in confusion. "Ash, what are-" Then she noticed where he was staring.

"Wait, no!" Realizing what he was thinking, Misty burst out laughing. "No, you perverted idiot! Not that kind of grinding!"

Embarrassed more at the insult than at how openly he had been leering, Ash stumbled back a bit. "Well, hey!" he protested. "What am I supposed to think then?"

"Hmmm, let me see…" Misty said, sarcastically placing a hand on her hip and tapping her other hand to her lower lip as she stared off into the distance. "Maybe, I don't know, _experience_ grinding? You know, the thing that virtually every trainer spends at least sixty percent of their time doing?"

Oh. Uh, well then. That did make sense. "Right," Ash said, sheepishly scratching the back of his neck. "I knew that."

"Suuuuuuure you did," Misty drawled. "Sheesh, and I thought the kids in Hoenn were way too horny." Then she got a distinctive sly look in her eye. Clasping her hands behind her back, she leaned forward to smirk at Ash. "But nothing says we explore some of that _other_ type of grinding later on."

Ash inhaled sharply. "R-Really?"

In answer, Misty reached up to tug at the collar of her shirt, giving Ash a good look of what was underneath. "Why should May have all the fun?"

On the one hand, Ash felt that he ought to be annoyed that Misty was shamelessly teasing him again, but on the other, he was also incredibly relieved that it had started back up again. It meant that she was feeling better.

Plus, well, nipples…

"Okay then!" Misty declared, abruptly straightening up first. "Let's get started!"

Now all kinds of hot and bothered, Ash shook himself out of his stupor. Then he glanced down.

Nidoran was looking up at him, one ear raised with the other lowered, projecting the same vibes that a human's raised eyebrow might.

"Oh, what are you looking at?" Ash said grumpily. Sighing, he started after Misty. "Come on."

…

"May," Yellow gasped. She was starting to shake, her upper body hunching over as her hand worked her sex faster and faster. "May! It feels…it feels…"

"That's it," May whispered as her fingers expertly worked her own pussy, stoking the flames that were always burning deep inside her, encouraging them out with practiced strokes and thrusts. "You're doing good. Just keep it going, and then…"

Yellow let out an adorable squeaking moan and suddenly stiffened, with nothing moving save for the shaking of her hips. Then with a soft groan she slumped down and fell to her side, hand still squeezed between her legs.

At the edge of the camp, Chuey tilted its head to one side, clearly puzzled by the strange ritual being engaged in by the humans. "Picha?" it inquired.

May handled cumming with considerably more grace than Yellow. She merely hummed in satisfaction as the fires finally erupted and surged from her sex outward, following their well-trodden paths. Simple masturbation didn't really do it for her like it used to, but hey, she was a seasoned teacher instructing her pupil. It would serve.

Withdrawing her hand, she casually licked off the glistening strands as she looked Yellow over. "Aw, baby's first orgasm!" she said in approval. Standing up, she walked over to kneel next to Yellow's trembling form. "You did good, sport!" she said as she affectionately stroked Yellow's bangs. "How you feeling?"

"I…I…" Yellow breathed out a long and shaky breath. _"Wow!"_

"I know, right?"

"That was…wow. That was intense!"

"And it's not over yet!"

Yellow managed to raise her head to squint blearily at May. "Huh?"

Then a canteen hit her in the chest, knocking her back. "Eep!"

"Drink up!" May said. "Gotta stay hydrated. Because once you're recovered, we're moving onto stage two!"

Shaken, Yellow struggled to untwist the canteens cap with trembling fingers. "Wh-What's stage two?"

In answer, May curled her fingers into claws. "Same thing as before, only this time I'll be doing it to _you!"_

…

Truthfully, Misty actually wasn't feeling all the much better. But she was trying to change her perspective.

True, working herself into an absolutely _mind-blowing_ orgasm had helped, but that still didn't change the fact that she had ended up as an electric-type PokeGirl, the most effective counter to her typing of choice. That didn't change the fact that her two signature Pokemon had outright rejected her. That didn't change the fact that her life as she had known it was effectively over.

But the arrival of Ash's old flame had changed things. The poor guy had left his hometown only two days ago, and he had first May and now Yellow throwing themselves at him: the seductive older girl and the childhood friend both. And while she trusted May at least to wait her turn (for…the most part), she got no such guarantee with Yellow, whom May was now actively corrupting. She wouldn't be surprised if they got back to find Yellow waiting naked in Ash's tent with her arms bound over her head and May's ball gag in her mouth.

And that rankled. Because while she really would rather have not been caught by Ash, she was still _his_ PokeGirl, which also made him _hers_. Not May, not Yellow, _hers:_ Misty freaking Waterflower. Being caught had cost her a great deal, leaving her with very little, but she did have this.

And she would be damned before she let some hopped-up little shrimp of a weirdo take what was hers.

"Okay," Misty said. "Now, you looked like you were getting a pretty good idea of what Nidoran can and can't do when the two of you were playing, right?"

Ash nodded. "Oh, yeah! And it may not really be that high of a level right now, but it can do plenty!"

"Great! Show me."

Ash turned toward his first Pokemon. "Okay, Nidoran!" he ordered, dramatically thrusting a finger toward a nearby patch of grass. "Show her…tackle!"

Nidoran hunkered down, waggled its hindquarters, and charged, all four stubby little legs pounding the ground. It then threw its body at the grass patch, hitting it with its shoulder and sailing right through.

"Great job! Now…leer!"

Nidoran pivoted on its right legs to whirl sharply around. It's eyes suddenly flared bright yellow, and a sharp, high-pitched whine filled the air.

"Huh, May knows that one too," Misty remarked.

Ash winced. "Yeah, I…noticed."

"I bet you did," Misty smirked.

"Shut up. Um…Nidoran! Double kick!"

The yellow glow faded, and Nidoran once again threw itself at the grass patch. However, this time it abruptly turned its body to one side mid-charge to snap out one hind leg in a sharp kick. It than rolled over its back and lashed out with the other hind leg as it came up.

"Fury attack!"

Nidoran hunkered back again. Then it thrust its head forward over and over again in quick succession, stabbing at the grass with its horn. "Ni-Ni-Ni-Ni- _Ni!"_ it chattered angrily.

"And finally…poison sting!"

Nidoran paused for just a second, and the tip of its horn suddenly darkened into a deeper shade of purple, one that was almost black.

"Ni-do- _ran!"_

Nidoran jabbed at the grass patch one last time with emphasis, the tip of its horn piercing several leaves at once.

The grass patch shivered once. And the whole thing simply shriveled up and collapsed.

"Hmph!" Nidoran turned and walked away, but not before kicking a contemptuous hind leg at the vanquished botanical menace.

"All right, that's great!" Misty cheered. "You really got a handle on the savage little guy!"

"Eh, what can I say?" Ash said as he proudly folded his arms with a smug smile. "We just formed an instant connection!"

Misty looked the smirking boy up and down. Then, with a smirk of her own, she stealthily approached him from behind.

Before Ash knew what was happening, Misty suddenly threw her arms over his shoulders and let them dangle down his front. "Oh, did you, huh?" she said, leaning in close, pressing her warm cheek against his. "And you're all about making those connections, aren't you, Ash?"

As expected, all of Ash's boastful bravado melted away in an instant, and he went stiff, hopefully all over. "Uh…" he said nervously. "I g-guess?"

Idly dragging a fingertip in a circle over Ash's chest, Misty murmured into his ear, "So, let's see how _strong_ and, um…" Her right leg rose up between Ash's legs to press up against his crotch. "… _firm_ those connections are." Certainly some very specific parts of him were already firm, if the way they were hardening against her knee was any indication.

Ash sighed. "Misty…" he said through gritted teeth. "You're _doing_ it again!"

"Whaaaaaat?" Misty said, putting on an innocent face. "What are you talking about? I'm just showing you the basics of, um, _training!"_

With an exaggerated roll of his eyes, Ash wriggled out of Misty's arms. " _Pokemon_ training! Let's focus on the _Pokemon_ training!"

Shaking his head, Ash headed deeper into the field. After a pause Nidoran imitated his head shake and followed. Misty snickered as they went. She might not be nearly as bad as May, but she had to admit, the teasing was fun!

Then, as she watched them walk off together, her smile wavered.

Ash had caught Nidoran only yesterday, and already they were the best of friends. Staryu and Starmie had been her companions for over three years, and one involuntary change, and they had turned their backs on her.

Wow.

"Hey, Misty?" Ash called over his shoulder. "You coming?"

"Uh…y-yeah!" Mist said, forcing her smile back. She jogged after them. "Hang on!"

…

Honestly, May had always been kind of a perverted weirdo, even before becoming a PokeGirl. She supposed that it came from growing up around her dad's gym and watching the trainers come in to challenge him. And sure, the Pokemon on Pokemon battles were fun and exciting, but it was the PokeGirls she always looked forward to seeing.

She had loved watching their beautiful, naked bodies writhe and twist as they did battle against Dad's team, from the jiggling of their breasts to how their pussies would start to glisten with arousal as the thrill of battle turned them on. She loved the ones with the shapely curves, the small and cute ones, the tall and regal ones, and the ones with sculpted muscle. She loved the ones just barely old enough to be caught to the older and more mature ones. She loved the ones with long flowing hair, the ones who cut it short, the ones with more outrageous styles, and even the ones with fully shaved heads. She loved their ferocity in battle, their power, their determination, and even their fear. Win or lose, whether they would overcome Dad's team and stand tall in triumph or would get beaten unconscious, there was always something about both the victors and the losers that May found ever so arousing.

But the best ones were the PokeGirl on PokeGirl battles.

Dad had two PokeGirls on his team, both of them in their early twenties, and both of them dead sexy. Lyra was shorter brunette with an ass to die for, while Kris was an teal-haired stunner with legs for days and abs that May dreamed of grating her face on. Growing up, May hadn't gotten to see much of them, as Dad hadn't allowed them in the house, perhaps under the hopes that the fewer naked girls around, the less likely his kids were turn out, well, like May had turned out.

That had probably been a mistake, as if they had been around from the beginning May wouldn't have considered it to be a big deal. As it was, the very first time she had been allowed to accompany Dad to his job, the first time she had seen the two gorgeous ladies he had serving him and the things they would do to the gorgeous ladies that trainers brought to challenge him, it had been nothing short of a premature sexual awakening.

From there she had been doomed. She visited the gym as often as she could, telling Dad that she only wanted to follow in his footsteps. She gathered every tape of PokeGirl battles she could find, the dirtier the better.

And the more she learned, the worst it got, and the _hornier_ she got. She got to know her own body exceptionally well, finding all sorts of creative ways to pleasure herself. And when Misty had become her lover, well, from there it had been off to the races.

Of course becoming a PokeGirl had only made things worse. Her libido had more than doubled as a result, and now she was horny pretty much constantly. Sure, Misty was often more than willing to help her with that, but that only went so far, so she had to become pretty creative and experimental to keep herself satisfied.

And while she had no regrets whatsoever for allowing herself to be caught, it did rankle that her age meant that she had to keep what she was under wraps, which meant her opportunities to share her knowledge was pretty limited. Sure, she had Misty, but that had long evolved from a tutelage into a partnership. As for Ash, well, a promise was a promise, and it might be a while before she could really show that boy a good time.

Which was why someone like Yellow was such an Arceus-send: a bright, young thing with a lot of curiosity and absolutely no shame whatsoever. May knew that Ash didn't like her and Misty found her off-putting, so Yellow probably wasn't going to be around for long. Which meant she intended to make use of every second she had with her new pupil.

"Okay, now sit your cute little butt down right here," May said, patting the log next to her. Still pantsless, Yellow complied, jogging over and sitting right next to the equally bottomless May, looking attentively up at the older girl.

"Good girl," May said with a smile, and affectionately mussed Yellow's hair, making her giggle.

"Okay, now we take off our clothes," May said.

Yellow blinked. "Uh, all of them?"

"All of them," May confirmed. "You want the full experience, right?"

"Right!"

"Great!" Seizing the nub of her zipper, May yanked it all the way down in one go, letting her shirt fall open. "Then let's get naked!"

"Okay!"

Yellow reached behind her head to seize the back of her tunic and yanked it off all in one go.

May looked her over. She was a cute little thing, obviously a late bloomer, but that only served to make her more adorable, with a round, elfin face and a skinny little figure. May could see the shapes of her ribs against her undeveloped chest, and her arms and limbs were almost sticklike.

That only served to arouse May even more. This was pure, unspoiled territory, just waiting to be explored.

"So _cuuuuuuute,"_ she purred, a salacious smile spreading across her face.

"Thank you!" Yellow said cheerily. "And you're really pretty too!"

It truly was a tragedy that Yellow had been kept from May for so long, just as it was outright bizarre that Ash seemed to want nothing to do with little golden treasure.

"Okay, now, I'm going to be slow and gentle here," May said, draping an arm over Yellow's bony shoulders. "But I'm going to need you to follow my instructions, all right?"

"Got it!"

"Good _girl_." May's hand lowered down over Yellow's smooth chest, to take her tiny pink nipple between her fingers. She reached her other hand between Yellow's legs to cup her moist, glistening sex.

Yellow's eyelids fluttered, and she let out a soft, mewling gasp.

"Feels good, I know," May said, her fingers kneading the folds of Yellow's labia, while her thumb gently massaged the top of her slit, coaxing her tiny little clitoris out. "Now just relax."

Her head bobbing up and down in ecstasy, Yellow managed another short nod.

As she continued to play with Yellow's childish sex, May gently drew her in closer, bringing her into a tender cuddle.

"You're, uh, you're very warm," Yellow murmured.

"In more ways than one!" May's hand slid up and down Yellow's side. "Now, brace yourself."

"Huh? What for-Oh!"

In one swift motion, May scooped Yellow up and placed the little girl sideways in her own lap, so that she was cradling Yellow's back with one hand while Yellow's legs stuck out the other side.

"What?" Blinking, Yellow looked up at May in questioning.

May grinned down at her. "Like I said. Relax." Her free hand slid back down between Yellow's legs. "It only gets better from here."

…

"Okay, now, as you probably know, the more experienced your Pokemon are at fighting, the stronger they get, the more moves they can learn, and quicker they can evolve," Misty told Ash. "So it's important to make sure they get a lot of experience battling!"

"Well, sure," Ash said. "I mean, obviously. That's what the League is all about."

"Right! But while the _best_ way to gain experience is by battling other trainers, the fact of the matter is that when you're out in the wilds, there's not always other trainers around to battle, so you gotta make due in other ways." Misty pointed out at the field. "Mainly, by finding and battling wild Pokemon!"

Ash, who had been nodding along with everything she had been saying, suddenly froze. "Wait, really? Just…find wild Pokemon, attack them, and beat them?"

"Exactly! Don't worry, they live for this sort of thing."

"But do I capture them after?"

"Nope! I mean, you _can_ if you want to, but it's better to not to, else you'll just have a lot of low level Pokemon filling up your party. It's better to just catch a few that you train well and can give attention to than grab a whole bunch that you'll never have time for."

Ash frowned. "But…you're saying I just find wild Pokemon, have Nidoran beat them unconscious, and just _leave_ them?"

"Basically!"

When Ash continued to stare, Misty reassured him, "Ash, don't worry about it! Wild Pokemon are beating each other senseless all the time! It's like their way of passing the time!" She turned toward the little purple subject of discussion. "Right, Nido?"

Nidoran looked up at her, its eyes gleaming bright. A… _disturbingly_ humanlike chuckle emitted from its mouth. "Ni-hi-hi-hi-doran!"

"See?" Misty said. "It's part of their natural culture! After all, how else do you think wild Pokemon evolve?"

Ash still looked a little bothered, but he seemed to be coming around. "Well, I guess you have a point." He glanced down at Nidoran. "So, I guess you're okay with attacking your former neighbors and beating the snot out of them, huh?"

Nidoran laughed again, and deeper this time. "Nido _ran!"_

"Wow," Ash blinked. "I, uh, guess you've got some grudges you want settled."

At this, Nidoran shook its head. "Ni! Nidoran!"

"Huh?"

Sitting upright in its hind legs, Nidoran stretched out its forepaws and started clawing at the air. "Dori! Nidori! Nidorin!"

In a flash of understanding Misty got what it was trying to communicate. "Oh! You want to _evolve!"_

Nidoran bounced up and down in excitement. "Nidori!"

"Oh, I get it!" Ash said. Then he shrugged. "Well, if you're okay with it, then I guess it's fine."

"One thing though!" Misty said, holding up a finger. "We don't have a PokeCenter to fall back on, and only so many potions! So we can't overdo it, and we can't go after another too big!"

"Right! That's a good point! We'll just fight a few battles today, then. Enough to get into the swing of things!"

Nidoran sighed in disappointment. "Nidiri," it mumbled, and made it sound like a curse.

…

As promised, it did get better. For both of them.

Yellow was like putty in May's hands. As May stroked, teased, kneaded, and massaged her cute little cunt, Yellow curled her arms against her chest, scrunched up her toes, and made just the _cutest_ little moans, sighs, and squeaks. She was trembling all over, helpless against May's ministrations.

"Feels great, doesn't it?" May murmured into Yellow's ear. She rolled her thumb over the little bud of Yellow's clit, while using her index finger and pinky to unveil Yellow's dripping hot insides, parting her lower lips like a curtain. "I mean, sure, doing to yourself is tons of fun, but having someone else do it for you? Just…surrendering control and allowing them to use you however they want? I can go fast, I can go slow, I can stick how many fingers I want into you and you just gotta let me. Makes it all the more thrilling, right?" She ran her other hand down the length of Yellow's ponytail, squeezing the golden strands, before picking up the end. Bringing it to her own chest, May brushed it over her breast, tickling the nipple.

Biting down on her lower lip, Yellow could only manage a brief nod.

"I thought so. For example, if I were to do _this…"_

She stuck her middle finger right into Yellow's sopping wet core.

May didn't go far, only up to the first knuckle. It was the kid's first time, after all. But Yellow reacted just the same, throwing her head back with a strangled gasp of shock while her whole body went stiff, her vaginal muscles contracting hard around May's finger, squeezing it like a vice.

"…you just have to take it, because…Uh, Yellow?"

Yellow's body had begun to buck, her shoulders jerking while she squeaked helplessly.

And then May's palm flooded with warmth.

May blinked. Then she giggled. "Done already? From just that?"

Yellow's mouth was moving, but she didn't seem to be able to say anything. But slowly, gradually her muscles began to loosen, and she collapsed against May, panting from exertion.

"S-Sorry," she managed to whisper.

"It's fine!" May withdrew her hand and admired the glistening strands. That was _two_ firsts, Misty and Yellow's, that belonged solely to her. She ran her tongue over her fingers, slurping the juices up. "We're breaking fresh ground here. In time you'll be able to last longer."

"S-Sounds g-great," Yellow whispered. "In t-time."

Though she remained seated in May's lap, Yellow slowly swung her legs around until they were both facing forward. She leaned over, hands on her knees, and just breathed in and out, collecting herself the best she could.

May helpfully rubbed her shoulders and neck. "It's real intense, I know."

"Yeah. But it just feels so _good!_ You know, I always wondered what all the fuss was about!"

"And now you know!" May reached one hand around to again pinch one of Yellow's nipples. "You know something, Yellow? You're a lot of fun."

"Thank you! So are you!"

"Darned tootin' I am!" Then May frowned, wondering if she ought to broach the subject currently on her mind. It was a little personal, but she did kind of want to keep Yellow around, and for that to happen there were a few points that she needed to know the details of. "Soooo, hey, if yah don't mind me asking, why is Ash getting all weird around you?"

"Aw, he's just like that," Yellow said dismissively. "It's fine."

May quirked an eyebrow. "You _sure?"_

"Sure I'm sure! He's just…" Yellow's voice trailed off.

May waited for Yellow to continue, and when she didn't, she prompted, "He's just what?"

Yellow sighed. "Weeelllll, I guess things have been kind of awkward between us for a while. He got mad at me a couple years ago, and never really got over it."

…

"Double-Kick, Nidoran! Finish it off!"

Its focus zeroed in on the dazed and wounded Ratata, Nidoran lowered its head and charged. "Ni-Ni-Ni-Do-Ran!"

It pivoted at exactly the right time to deliver a stunning kick to the side of the Ratata's face. Its chubby white cheek collapsing in on impact.

A roll, a turn, and before the Ratata even had time to fall over, another kick slammed into its other cheek.

Completely spun around, the Ratata somehow managed to stand straight up. It took a single, wobbling step and promptly fell right onto its chin, its eyes spinning spirals.

Nidoran snorted in derision.

"Great job!" Ash said, pumping his arm. "That's four wins, and they barely got a sniff off of you!"

Nidoran beamed at the praise, at least as much a small, poisonous, purple rodent-thing could beam.

Misty clapped her hands. "Well done, both of you! You guys are really getting the hang of this!"

Nidoran beamed again, and this time Ash joined it.

Then Misty looked up to the sky. "Still, we should probably head back. May and your ex will probably be wondering what's taking us so long."

Ash made a face. "Do we have to? I mean, we haven't even found that mystery Pokemon yet!"

Misty blinked. "I'm sorry, what mystery Pokemon?"

"I dunno," Ash said with a shrug. "But something's been following me ever since we left Viridian City. I can never get a good look at it, I just hear it shuffling around whenever I'm alone."

At this, Misty frowned. "And you never thought to mention this until now?"

"I didn't think it was serious! I figured it's just some curious Pokemon. Still, I do kinda want to see what kind it is."

Misty hoped that that was true. The last thing she needed was yet another complication. "Well, we can look I guess, but something tells me that the reason you don't want to go back has less to do with that and more to do with who's at camp right now."

At this, Ash got a sour look.

"Hmmm." Misty intently studied Ash's face. "You really don't want to be around her, do you?"

"No, I do not!"

"Wow." Misty had to admit, she was getting kind of curious. "Care to tell me why?"

In answer, Ash just sulkily folded his arms and turned away.

"Huh." Misty thought for a moment. Well, it looked like Yellow wasn't going to be much competition after all. Sure, she might have been outright throwing herself at Ash, but it was clear that Ash wanted none of that.

Something had happened between them, something _big._

And Misty now really wanted to know what it was.

But probing him would probably only get him to withdraw further, closing up like a shy Cloyster. She would have to draw out the information through other means.

And right then was when she got an _idea._

"Well, okay," Misty said with a shrug. "We don't have to go back right now." She made a show of looking thoughtfully off into the distance while tapping her lower lip. "Hmmm, but what to do?"

Then she snapped her fingers. "Hey, I got it!"

"Huh?" Ash tilted his head. "What?"

Misty pointed out over the field. "The lake's not far from here. So why don't we go for a swim?"

"A swim?" Ash's face softened. "Well, I guess it is kind of hot today…"

"Great!" Misty grabbed his hand and pulled him along. "Let's go!"

"W-Wait!" Ash cried as he was hauled along.

"Hmmm?" Misty looked over her shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"I left home without packing anything, remember? I don't have a swimsuit!"

"You don't?" Then Misty smirked and shrugged. "Oh well, that's not a problem. Neither do I."

Which…wasn't true. She had a couple packed away in her stuff. But she wasn't about to tell _him_ that.

"Huh?" Then the confusion on Ash's face melted away, to be replaced with blushing realization and a rather silly smile. "Oh. Oh! Uh, okay. Are you s-sure?"

Rolling her eyes, Misty tugged on his hand again. "Come on!"

Ash recalled Nidoran back into its pokeball, and the two children ran through the field toward the lake, both of them simmering with anticipation. Misty especially could feel the excited flutters building, and she could only imagine how Ash was feeling.

Well, soon enough he was going to be feeling her.

But then they paused. Someone was already there, sitting on the shore of the lake.

There were two of them, a young man and a young woman, both looking to be in their late teens. The man had short-cropped red hair and a red beard, and his skin looked…unnaturally tanned. He was wearing nothing but a pair of swim trunks and was sitting on a towel with his legs drawn up, staring balefully out at the lake.

The woman had long teal hair and was quite shapely, with her ample bust straining at the white string bikini she was wearing. She had a tube of some kind of pale yellow lotion in her hands, which she was squirting into her hands and rubbing onto the man's shoulders. He seemed to be in some form of pain, judging by the way he was wincing.

Actually, Misty knew exactly what she was rubbing on him. It was a special antibiotic cream for when you were accidentally burned by Pokemon. Apparently this guy was a trainer who had recently suffered an accident.

"Oh, crap," Ash muttered.

"What?"

"I know those guys. I mean, me and May accidentally walked in on them having sex in the forest, and they got mad, and that PokeGirl tried to electrocute us, but she ended up zapping him instead."

Misty was straining very hard to keep from laughing. "Oh, uh, well. I mean, I'm sure it was-"

"Through his penis."

Misty blinked. Then her head whipped around to stare at Ash. "Huh?"

Wincing, Ash shrugged. "Well, she's also an electric-type, and he was still, um, you know, still _inside_ her when she got mad at us and charged up. And me and May were already running away, but we did hear him scream."

Misty blinked again. Then her face contorted, and air escaped through her nose in a chugging whistle.

"Knock it off, they'll hear you!" Ash grabbed Misty by the arm and pulled her out of sight, behind a boulder. Misty clapped both hands over her mouth as nose as she struggled to keep from bursting into hysterics.

Once they were out of sight, Misty snorted in barely restrained laughter while Ash just rolled his eyes.

"It's not that funny," he said.

"I disagree! It's _very_ funny!"

"You got electrocuted too! You know what it feels like!"

"Then I'm allowed to laugh at other people who get themselves zapped! Besides, _I_ got zapped trying to save some helpless schmuck from getting pecked to death! _He_ got zapped…Ash?"

Ash had apparently stopped listening, and was now peeking out from behind the rock. Misty blinked, and then rose up to look out as well.

What she saw made her sigh.

The man was now leaning back on one elbow, his other hand resting on the PokeGirl's breast, rubbing it through her bikini. She was idly undoing the laces of his swim trunks and pulled the Velcro open.

His stiff erection popped right out. And sure enough, it was a shade darker than even the rest of the toasted trainer.

Misty made a face at seeing yet _another_ man's ugly penis, but then she glanced over to Ash.

Ash was staring hard, his eyes unblinking, his mouth hanging slightly open.

The PokeGirl squirted more lotion into her palm and gently ran it up and down the singed shaft. The trainer winced, but let her do her work.

Then they locked eyes, and though no words seemed to be said, the trainer nodded.

In one fluid movement, the PokeGirl pressed both hands to the tops of her bountiful breasts and slid them down, pushing her bikini top off and letting her breasts pop free. Then she stood up and stepped over her trainer's rod. She reached down and pushed her bikini bottom aside, letting him slide right into her.

With a soft groan, her trainer gripped her by her thighs and began pumping her up and down, even though he was flinching with pain with every thrust.

Misty sighed. The guy had literally gotten his dumbass electrocuted the day before by doing that, and already he was at it again before he was even fully healed. Sometimes she felt that PokeGirls got too much flak for their overactive libidos. In her experience the trainers were usually just as recklessly horny.

And speaking of which…

Misty glanced again at Ash, who still had yet to blink. She tsked. Given his reaction, one would think he had never seen anyone have sex before, something that was pretty much impossible to avoid if one wanted to step outside their hometown. Or turn on the TV. Or pretty much do anything in Kanto.

She waved a hand in front of Ash's face. No reaction. His attention was taking up entirely by the PokeGirl's jiggling bosom.

"Ash," Misty said. "Hey, Ash."

Finally Ash did blink, but that was all the reaction she got.

Sighing, Misty looked down at her finger. Then she shrugged. Oh, what the hey. She had it, she might as well use it.

She made a gun with her hand and stuck her finger close to Ash's head. Pressing her thumb down like a revolver's hammer, a spark leapt from her fingertip to her trainer's ear.

He finally flinched. "Ow!" he said, slapping a hand over her ear. "What was that for?"

Rolling her eyes, Misty tiled her head further down the shore, in the opposite direction of the copulating couple.

Sighing, Ash got the hint and nodded, and the two crawled away before they could be noticed.

Once they were a hundred percent certain that they were alone, Misty said, "So. Enjoy the show?"

Ash scowled. "Oh, give me a break! Who wouldn't stare?"

"Me."

Crossing his arms, Ash turned away from her in a huff. "Please! Like you're not even more of a pervert."

"Eh, got me there," Misty said with a shrug. "But at least I got it under control. Which is something you'll have to learn, because scenes like that are going to be happening way more often."

Ash froze. "Wait. What does that mean?"

Misty sighed. "It means that if you want to be a Pokemon trainer, then you're going to just have to get used to finding random people having sex with their PokeGirls."

"Oh." Ash seemed quite beside himself. "Does it really happen that often?"

"Um, yeah? Why'd you think most people catch girls in the first place?"

"Well, um…" Ash anxiously scratched the back of his head. "I guess I never thought about it like that before."

Misty stared.

"I mean, I knew about the sex stuff, and I knew that it's not a big deal to do it out in the open, I just didn't think that people would just be doing it…so much."

"You wanted to be a Pokemon master your whole life, and you never knew about that?" Misty said incredulously.

"Well, I focused on the Pokemon stuff!" Ash said, throwing his hand into the air. "I didn't even think about all that!"

"Really," Misty said, her tone deadpan. "You were going to get to go capture a bunch of horny girls, ones just begging to ride your cock, and you just didn't…think about it?"

Ash shrugged. "Well, you know! I wasn't even going to be allowed to do any of that until I was sixteen, s-so why waste my time with it? Pokemon is what I was really interested in!"

Misty quirked an eyebrow.

"Not like that!"

"I didn't say anything," Misty said.

"You were thinking it!"

"Okay, but I didn't say it."

His face reddening, Ash glanced away. "'Sides," he muttered. "I just figured…you know, why even bother catching girls? Any girl I'd catch would only be with me because she'd have to, and that's no fun. Might as well stick with Pokemon."

"Huh," Misty said. "And…did Gary tell you that?"

Ash didn't answer. He just turned away.

Misty looked the crestfallen boy up and down. She tilted her head to one side. "Ash, what exactly happened between you and Gary?"

Ash sighed. "I don't wanna talk about-"

Misty shot a spark at the back of his head.

"Ow!" Ash glowered over his shoulder at her. "Okay, fine! You wanna know why we're not friends anymore? You wanna know why I'm not exactly thrilled that Yellow showed up?"

…

"We all met in kindergarten," Yellow said. She and May were still naked, but she was no longer in May's lap. Instead, she was sitting next to May on the log, Chuey now sitting in her lap. For its part, the little Pikachu seemed uncaring of its trainer's nudity or the weighty matters she was about to discuss, so long as she continued to provide ear scratches and cheeks massages, which she was doing.

As for May, she was sitting with one leg stretched out and the other drawn up on the log, her arms draped over her knee as she listened.

"Well, actually, not all of us," Yellow corrected. "Me and Ash have actually known each other since we were babies."

"Ah. Childhood friends. Got it."

Yellow frowned. "But…we're still children?"

May shrugged. "Hey, if you're old enough to go out into wild world by yourself to tame dangerous beasts _and_ get fingerbanged by your new buddy, then you're old enough to think of everything before now as your childhood."

"Uh…I don't think that's how it works."

"Whatever." May rolled her wrist. "Anyway, you and Ash. Babies."

"Oh, right! But we met the rest in kindergarten! Blue Gary Oak, Red Andrew Collins, and Green Leaf Johnson!"

At this, May choked. "Wait, wait, wait, hold on. Gary's first name is _Blue?"_

"Yeah, but he preferred going by his middle name," Yellow said with a shrug. "Same with Leaf. Something about not wanting to sound like we were a box of crayons."

"Uh, okay. So you all are just named after colors?"

"It's a Pallet Town thing," Yellow said.

A really weird Pallet Town thing. "So, what, is Ash's first name Purple or something?"

"Oh no, it's only a few families that do it. Otherwise we'd run out of colors pretty quick!"

"Yeah, I guess that make-"

"Ash's first name is Ashley!"

Misty blinked. "Come again?"

"He's named after his grandmother!"

"Ah," May said with a nod. "I see."

Then she rolled her eyes skyward and offered a prayer of gratitude for the beautiful gift she had just been given.

Oh, she was going to give that boy _so_ much grief!

"Anyway," Yellow said, dismissing the previous conversation about names. "That's when we became friends, and we all hung out all the time!"

Obviously that was no longer the case. "And you dated everyone in the group," May noted.

"Uh-huh! Leaf was my favorite."

"Okay, but, um, was all those breakups the reason why you guys started fighting?"

"We didn't _all_ start fighting! Just Ash and Gary. And…Red and Gary. And Leaf and Gary, a little? I mean, she chewed him out pretty badly a few months ago…"

"I'm getting the picture," May sighed. "Looks like Gary was just everybody's problem child."

…

"It started at Pokemon Trainer Camp," Ash said glumly. "Well, not _started,_ exactly, but that's where it all went bad. But I guess it really started a little earlier then that, when me and Gary sort of…stopped being friends, I guess."

Honestly, given what Misty had seen of Gary, it was surprising that they had been friends at all. "And how did that happen?"

Ash sighed. "Oh, he'd always been kind of egolord, but hey, he was _our_ egolord! But, I dunno, he just started getting more and more bigheaded, and after a while it started to feel like he was just hanging out with us so he'd have someone to brag to." He scowled. "And he just started getting _mean._ You couldn't have a conversation with him without him putting you down!"

"Yeah, that tracks," Misty said, nodding.

"Anyway, we were all getting kind of fed up with him, but Red was the first to get into his face, and they got into a fight, and, uh, Red kind of won." At this, Ash smirked, clearly relishing the memory. "Like, pretty badly. And when I wouldn't take Gary's side, Gary got mad at me, and that's why we stopped being friends."

…

"It got pretty nasty," Yellow said. "Gary was all red in the face and angry, and I think he was crying a little. I overhead him and Ash talking right after it happened, and I don't know what they were saying, but it ended with Gary calling Ash a backstabber that was only hanging out with him for his money, a bunch of stuff about how we were all just jealous of him, and-"

"Jealous of Ash?" May asked.

"No, of Gary! Which is silly. Why would I be jealous of Gary?"

May quirked an eyebrow. She had never actually met the of-mentioned and universally disliked Blue Gary Oak, but between Ash and Misty's descriptions, she was getting a pretty good idea as to his upbringing. "Um, is he rich?"

"No."

Really? That was odd. Then how else did he have his own car and a harem of PokeGirls despite being…Oh, wait, Yellow had probably misunderstood. She did seem a little on the overly literal side. "Are his parents rich?" May clarified.

Yellow nodded. "Very!"

"Big house?" May guessed.

"Super-big! It's got a pool and a tennis court and its own arcade!"

Ah, now things were becoming more clear. "Okay, so, are your parents rich?"

"My parents are dead! I live with my uncle!"

Oops. May winced a little and almost apologized for stumbling on what was probably a pretty sensitive topic. She had her own opinions on parents in general, but had learned that not everyone shared those opinions.

But then she got a look at Yellow's face and decided against it. Yellow didn't seem offended or upset at all. In fact, she had that same vaguely pleasant look on her face that she had when they had first met, as if they were having a casual conversation about the weather and not about anything like being orphaned at an early age. Maybe her parents had died when she was really young, so it didn't bother her? Either way, it was probably best to just keep going like nothing was wrong. "Okay, is he rich?"

"Nope!"

May tilted her head to one side and scratched her temple. "So, maybe that's why he thought you would be jealous? Because he has a rich family with a big house and you don't?"

"That's silly," Yellow said with a giggle. "If I wanted all that I wouldn't have broken up with him!"

"Okay. And why did you break up with him?"

"Because he's a jerk and Leaf isn't and Leaf is _really_ pretty."

Well, that made perfect sense then. "Good reasons," May said, nodding. Then suddenly she remembered something. "Wait, hold on! You just said that Red was the one who beat up Gary, right? So why is it Ash that Gary has it in for?"

"Because Gary's kind of scared of Red and Ash is a lot easier to pick on," Yellow said bluntly.

May winced. "Harsh."

"It's true."

…

"Okay, but what does that have to do with Yellow?" Misty wanted to know. "I mean, from the sound of things, all of you were on the same page with the whole Gary becoming insufferable thing."

Ash shrugged. "Well, after that all blew up, we just kind of stopped hanging out. Yellow was dating Leaf at the time, but Leaf and Red had always been best friends." His shoulders slumped a bit. "So that sort of left me on my own."

Misty blinked. "Well. That sounds rough."

"Oh, who cares?" Ash mumbled, flicking a stone aside with the toe of his shoe. "I can look after myself."

The clear memory of stormy skies and infuriated Spearows flashed into Misty's mind. "Clearly."

Catching her meaning, Ash's cheeks blushed a little, and he turned away with an uncomfortable cough.

"So, uh, is that why you don't like Yellow?" Misty said after a bit. "Because she ignored you after all that?"

Ash shook his head. "No. Like I said earlier, it happened at Pokemon Trainer Camp."

…

"Pokemon Trainer Camp was the _best!"_ Yellow gibed enthusiastically."We got to go camping and learned how to track Pokemon and all about how battling works, and they even had their own gym! Okay, the badge didn't count toward Indigo League, but it was cool! I still got mine!" She ran across the campsite to where her bag was, pulled something out of it, and ran back to thrust it at May. It was a little metal pin in the shape of a pokeball with the words Kanto Pokemon Trainer Camp written on it. "See?"

"Neat!" To be honest, that did sound like fun. May had never been all that interested in becoming a Pokemon trainer, and she would probably have ended up getting kicked out anyway, but she could see the appeal. "But, um, Ash?"

Yellow stuck the badge onto her hat, which was lying next to her. "Oh yeah, Ash and I ended up being partners!"

May's head jerked back. "Wait, huh?"

…

"Camp was awesome, pretty much everything I wanted it to be," Ash said glumly. "Except for that fact that _Gary_ was there to ruin everything!"

Misty could see where this was going. "Let me guess: he made it his personal mission to make you miserable?

Ash nodded. "Every single game, every single contest, it was like he was competing with me and me only! Whenever he'd win, he'd make sure to rub it in to only me!"

"And if you won, he'd make some lame excuse or accuse you of cheating?"

At this, Ash winced and looked away. "I, uh, actually didn't win a whole lot," he admitted.

"Ah."

"It…got pretty frustrating." Then he sighed. "But at the end of it all was the Camp League Tournament."

Misty nodded. She had never attended Pokemon Trainer Camp herself, but she had read up on them. "So, that's where they give everyone a random Pokemon team, right?"

"Right! It's to test how much you've know and how well you can come up with a strategy with the team you've been given! Except ours had a twist: it was a team tournament. Everyone had a partner, which was also chosen at random!" He sighed. "And, uh, Yellow ended up being mine."

Ah, now things were becoming more clear. "Oh, you must've been annoyed."

"Well, not really," Ash admitted. "I wasn't mad at her _then,_ and I honestly was glad to hang out with someone from our old group that wasn't Gary."

Misty quirked an eyebrow. "Even though she dumped you?"

"She dumps everyone!"

"Okay."

…

"And we actually ended up being a pretty awesome team!" Yellow said, still weirdly excited in her retelling of why her friend was mad at her. "He ended up with a Krabby, a Tauros, and a Muk, and I had a Graveler, a Doduo, and a Magnemite! And we were kicking _butt!_ It was like we knew what each other was thinking; nobody could stop us!"

…

"I don't know how to describe it," Ash said with shrug. "Chemistry, I guess. We just had real chemistry as a team. And we just kept winning and winning and winning, and before we knew it, we had made it all the way to the finals!"

More of the pieces were coming together in Misty's head. "Let me guess: your opponent was Gary."

Ash nodded. "And Leaf."

That gave Misty pause. "Wait, your rival was paired up with your partner's girlfriend?"

"Yeah," Ash sighed.

"So, you guys lost, then?"

To Misty's surprise, the question made Ash erupt out of his funk into outright anger. He leapt to his feet and started shouting, "We didn't lose! We were actually winning! But then Yellow screwed it all up! On _purpose!"_

…

"I threw the match," Yellow said casually.

May's face screwed up in confusion. "Uh, you did what?"

"I told my Graveler to self-destruct before Ash's Tauros trampled Leaf's Weepinbell," Yellow said, idly scratching behind her Pikachu's ears. "And it did, and it knocked out the Tauros, and all that was left was Ash's Krabby, and Leaf's Weepinbell took care of that pretty easily."

That…explained a whole lot about why Ash was acting so weird around Yellow, but it only raised so many more questions. "Okay…So, why did you throw the match again?"

"Because it was my girlfriend!" Yellow said, her tone indicating that it should be obvious. "And I wanted to make her happy!"

May stared. "Okay. Um…was she?"

There was a pause, and then Yellow sighed and said, "No."

…

"At first I thought that Yellow had just made a really dumb mistake." Ash was now pacing back and forth, gesticulating with his hands as he ranted. "But then I overheard her talking to Leaf, and she basically just confessed everything! She ruined it for us! We were about to win and take the Junior Trainer's Cup, and she screwed me over just to make her girlfriend happy!"

Misty, it should be noted, was _fascinated._ This was apparently a very raw nerve she had touched, and she was hanging on every word. "Er, was she? Leaf, I mean."

"NO!" Ash snapped, though not at her. If anything he seemed to be raging to the heavens above. "Of course she wasn't! She was furious! I think that's part of the reason why they broke up. But it didn't matter anymore. We were already home by then, Gary had the cup, and nothing would convince him that he only won because Yellow screwed me! I couldn't go out of the house without him showing up and rubbing it all in my face! So that's why I'm mad at Yellow. Because she stabbed me in the back, gave Gary yet another reason to push me around, and when I yelled at her for it, she just wouldn't get it, it drives me crazy!"

He stopped pacing, though his fists were still shaking at his sides. Then he inhaled sharply through his nose and whirled around to slam his knuckles into a nearby tree trunk.

"Gah!" he spat.

"Wow," Misty said. What else could she say?

To be honest, she was struggling to really understand why Ash was so upset. After all, it was only one match, and one that didn't really count in the long run. Sure, Yellow screwing him like that was kind of messed up, but as dumb as her reason at least it was…kind of benign? Heck, if she and May were partners, and May had pulled a similar stunt to impress some girl, then sure, Misty would be annoyed and probably give her an earful, but that wouldn't be enough to make her cut May off entirely. Heck, probably not even for a day. After all, it was _May._

Then again, maybe it wasn't so much what she had done but who they had been up against when it happened. Misty had only been exposed to a little bit of Gary, and that had been more than enough. If that creep had been tormenting Ash for months at that point and Yellow had only given him more ammunition, then it stood to reason that Ash would take it incredibly personally.

Besides, maybe it she was looking at it the wrong way. After all, her job was _literally_ to lose Pokemon battles. Not intentionally, but she was an obstacle that every professional trainer had to overcome and defeat if they wanted to qualify for the Indigo League Tournament. Every trainer that had participated in the last three years had beaten her. Sure, she had also beaten many of them first, some of them many times, but they had all prevailed in the end, just like they had eventually beaten all the other Gym Leaders. Furthermore, League regulations dictated that she had to handicap herself in every battle, according to the experience of her opponent.

But for Ash, that had probably been the most important battle of his life. Heck, the only other battles he had probably had up to that point had been the others one he had had at that same camp, so it would naturally mean more.

"Hey, Ash?" Misty said. "Are you the most mad because you didn't win, because it was Gary you lost to, or because Yellow lost on purpose?"

At this, Ash let out a bitter laugh. "Um, can I choose _all?_ Gary had been making my life miserable for months at that point, and I just wanted to prove that he wasn't better than me! And we had it in the bag! It was going to be the greatest moment of my life, and she stole that from me!"

"Ah."

"And who does that?" Ash went on. "Who turns on their own partner like that? We were a team! That's supposed to mean something! I sacrificed my Pokemon _twice_ during the tournament so she could land the winning blow! I had her back, so why didn't she have mine? She was already dating Leaf anyway! Did she think that letting her win would make her _more_ of her girlfriend?"

"Did you tell her that?"

"Of course I did! But she just wouldn't get it! She just acted like it was no big deal and I shouldn't be upset about it!"

Misty sighed. It was clear that loyalty meant a lot to Ash. No wonder he had been so hurt. "Yeah, I can see why you'd be upset."

…

May, it should be noted, was no longer confused as to why Ash was so annoyed by this loveable little scamp. In fact, she was getting kind of offended on his behalf. "Soooo…let me get this straight: you guys were a group of friends that fell apart because one of you got too big for his britches, got his ass _beat_ because of it, and afterward the jerk in question started picking on the one guy that didn't have anyone sticking by him after everything falls apart, and just so happened to be his former best friend?"

"Uh…" Yellow frowned, and scratched the side of her head. "I guess that's correct."

"But at camp, you and the poor sap get put on a team, actually end up gelling really well, and finally he has the chance to show the jerk up and take back some of his pride, but then you end up sabotaging him, costing him the match, costing him the cup, and making him lose to the guy that's been tormenting him this whole time?"

Yellow stuck her lips out in a pout. "Well, it wasn't personal! I just wanted to make my girlfriend happy! How was I supposed to know she'd be so mad about it?"

May glowered at her. 'And you never said you were sorry."

"I did!" Yellow protested. "When Leaf told me that she never wanted me to-"

"I meant to Ash!"

"Oh." Finally Yellow at least looked a little ashamed. "Uh, no."

May slapped a hand over her own face in exasperation. "Giiiiiiirrrrrrrl! Jeez, no wonder he's acting so weird! That's…not cool! That's just not cool!"

"But that was almost two years ago!"

"So?" May threw her hands into the air. "It's still not cool! Come on, you don't do your buddy dirty like that!"

…

"So, that's it," Ash said, his arms folded and the visor of his cap pulled down low over his face. "That's why I don't like her." He glanced up at Misty, who had been sitting and listening intently. "And let me guess: I should just forgive her and let it all go because she didn't mean anything bad by it and is probably lonely after she drove all her friends off."

Misty frowned. "What?"

"That's what my mom kept telling me. Like it's my fault nobody wants to hang out with her anymore." Ash then rose his voice a few pitches, imitating a nagging, female tone. "'Oh Ash, why can't you just be friends again like you used to! I know she feels sorry, and would love to hear from you again!'"

"Uh…your mom really likes Yellow, I guess?"

At this, Ash made a face. "Mom is really close to Yellow's family. Her Grandma was like my mom's supervisor on that trip where my mom and dad met, so me and Yellow always kinda knew each other."

"Aaahhh. Friend's daughter, playdates, got it."

"Yeah," Ash muttered. He sat back down and stared down at his hands.

Truth be told, there was another aspect to it, one that he wasn't comfortable sharing. Sure, Gary had been his best friend from about kindergarten through third grade, but he had actually known Yellow the longest. His parents and Yellow's parent had actually been pretty close, so he and Yellow were practically raised together. There were pictures of them crawling around as babies, and the two families would even vacation together. Sure, Gary had been Ash's best friend from kindergarten through third grade, but Yellow had been around even before Gary, and for a time afterward.

And Ash had sort of thought she would stay with him. Sure, the whole first grade boyfriend-and-girlfriend thing had been silly, but they had still be close afterward.

And then had come the day that Ash and his mom had gotten the news. That dark, dark day, when it felt like the whole world was crashing down around Ash's ears, and no one could possibly understand what he was going through.

But as it turned out, someone did.

" _Ash, I promise I won't leave you. You can count on me!"_

She had _promised!_ She had promised him, on the worst day of Ash's life! Why hadn't she kept that promise? Why hadn't-

Ash realized that his hands had started to shake violently, and his breathing was starting to sound more like growling. He closed his eyes and focused on calming himself, relaxing his muscles while bringing his breathing under control.

Then Misty sighed and shrugged. "Ash, I'm not your mom, and Yellow isn't my friend's…anything. So no. I'm not going to say you're wrong for being mad at her. That was a crappy thing to do, and yeah, she should've said sorry."

Ash slowly breathed out. "Um, wow, thanks. You're…one of the only people to tell me that."

"Really? No one else took your side?"

Ash scratched the back of his head. "Well, Leaf did, of course. She was _really_ mad, and made a point to apologize to me. But I was never mad at her. Still, it was nice to know someone understood how I felt."

"Well, now you have two!" Misty walked over to Ash and lightly chucked him in the shoulder. "And I'm sure as heck not going to sabotage any Pokemon battles to impress some girl! If we ever end up battling, it'll be to the bitter end!"

Ash was honestly touched. Granted, he did technically _own_ Misty, but they both knew that was only by her expressed permission, to be withdrawn whenever she wanted. But it was still one of the first times anyone had validated his feelings, and it felt pretty good.

Then Misty frowned. "Uh, by that I meant you and me battling as a team. Fighting someone else. Not you fighting me."

Ash laughed. "No, I got that."

"Okay. Just wanted to be clear. I know the word choice was a little confusing."

"I got it, really! Don't worry. And, um, thanks. Again."

"Don't mention it."

"Okay." Ash turned away from her. "I won't."

Misty laughed. "Okay, you can mention it a little."

Then she looked back to camp. "I guess you're still in no mood to go back."

Ash's face darkened. As cleansing as getting the story out had been, it had only made him even more resentful. "No."

"Don't blame you. But you've done a lot of soul-baring and got put into a bad mood. Hmmm, what'll we do about that?"

"Huh? What do you-"

A moment later something hit Ash in the back of his head.

"Uh…hey!" he said, struggling to disentangle it. "What was that all-"

The words died in his throat. The object turned out to be Misty's shirt.

Ash's heartbeat increased. He hesitated, and then slowly looked up.

Misty was standing with her back to him, facing the lake, naked from the waist up. The sun was still high, and the way it danced off the freckles on her shoulders was absolutely mesmerizing.

"Oh."

Misty glanced at him over her shoulder and smirked. And then, just as she had done the day before, right before everything had gone, wrong, she hooked her thumbs into her shorts' waistline, this time getting her panties as well, and gave them a push partway down her butt. A little wiggle, and they slipped the rest of the way down.

Ash was already hard from watching that trainer and his PokeGirl, but now he was positively throbbing. He stared as Misty casually kicked her shoes off and then squatted down to peel off her socks.

"Okay," Misty said, straightening up. "That's better." She gave Ash another look over her shoulder. "Coming?"

"Uh…" That was it. That was all Ash was capable of saying.

Misty waggled her eyebrows. Then she reached down to grab a big handful of one buttcheek, squeezing it hard. Then she gave it a swift smack, making her whole butt jiggle.

Ash just about came in his pants right then and there.

Laughing, Misty ran toward the lake, bounded right off a rock, and dove smoothly in. A second later her head surfaced. "Come on, Slowpoke!" she said, lying on her back and kicking merrily away.

"Um…okay." Ash shook himself out of his stupor. Then he took off his jacket and shucked his hat. "This is happening. Ha, ha, wow, this is happening."

As Ash nervously undressed as fast as he could, two thoughts were loud and clear in his mind. The first could be best described as, _Ohmigosh, ohmigosh, I can't believe this is happening, wait a minute, why wouldn't I believe it, it isn't like she and May haven't been teasing me with this since I met them, but even so this is super crazy, I can't believe it!_

And the second thought was simply, _Suck it, Gary! And you too, Yellow!_

…

Back at camp, May had worked herself up into quite the fuss. "Like, come on! You knew that Gary was bullying him! You knew that if Gary won, he would only pick on Ash more! But you just went and made that happen anyway! And for what? What trainer would want a tainted win like that? Like, if I was your girlfriend and found out what you did, I would've dumped your ass right then and there! And you never even said you're sorry? I mean, what kind of-"

"Pika!"

May paused, and looked back to the log.

Chuey was standing up straight in Yellow's lap and was glowering angrily at the ranting PokeGirl, its cheeks crackling with electricity. The reason for its ire was evident.

Yellow was wearing her big straw hat again, and had it pulled down over her face. Her skinny shoulders were shaking a little, and May heard her sniff.

May blinked. And then she sighed, her face softening. Oh great, she had gone and made the clueless kid cry.

"All right, all right," she said, walking over to sit back down next to the kid. She reached for Yellow's shoulder. "Look, I didn't-"

"Chu," Chuey bristled.

May's hand paused. "Hey, I'm trying to help here," she told it. "Let me work, okay?"

Chuey kept glaring. But then it looked up at Yellow's shrouded face. Though she didn't raise her head, Yellow nodded, and Chuey sighed and bounded off to the other end of the log to let the two humans be alone.

Yellow drew her legs up and rested her chin on her knees. Draping an arm over her shoulder, May said, "Look, I didn't mean to make you feel like crap just now. It's just…friendship's really important to me, you know? And Ash is kind of my friend now, so I'm kinda protective of the guy."

Yellow swallowed noisily. "I really hurt his feelings." She sighed. "I know I did. I know what I did was messed up. But I thought if I just acted like everything was normal, then he'd, you know, stop being mad and hang out with me again."

May frowned. "It's been like two years. How long do you need to realize that that's not going to happen?"

"Yeah," Yellow mumbled. "I know. I just…Ash has always been there. But then he wasn't. And I didn't know how to bring him back. And then Leaf was gone, and I thought if I was with Red then they'd come back, but they didn't, and Red left, and I was all alone."

"Huh," May said. She shook her head. Man, this was way more drama than she was used to dealing with. And here she thought that her new buddy Ash Ketchum was uncomplicated! "Well, uh, have you ever considered, you know, apologizing? Like, telling Ash that you know that you screwed up and you're really sorry?"

"Uh…no. Not really."

"Er, why not?"

"I'm…not good at that sort of thing." Yellow swallowed again. "No one ever showed me how."

Weird. That was very weird. "Well…I can't say-"

"Can you?"

"Huh?"

Yellow raised her head just enough to peek her big, gold eyes up at May. "Can you teach me how to apologize so Ash will like me again?"

"Uh, teach you?" May shrugged. "You know what? Sure! I mean, Ash is kind of my second best friend by default now, and I literally just fingerbanged you, which puts you on the list as far as I'm concerned. And I want my friends to get along, so…sure!"

"Thanks!" Yellow suddenly lunged forward and wrapped her arms around May's middle. "You're my fingerbang friend too!"

May's face was already all twisted up, but now it was outright going to war with itself. Man, Yellow was one weird kid. "It's cool," she said, patting Yellow on the back. "We'll figure out a way to-"

"Oh, do you think I should masturbate Ash like you masturbated me? Would that make him happy?"

It was not often that May was struck speechless. More often than not she was the one doing the striking.

But this was definitely one of those times.

 _You have,_ she thought as she stared dumbstruck down at Yellow, _been utterly wasted on Pallet Town. Sweet Arceus. You should've grown up with me. Oh, the sexy chaos we could've created together._

"You know what?" May said. "I don't think it's the time for that. So, uh, put a pin in that idea, and we'll come back around to it if we need to."

…

Despite having a thoroughly terrible day, as soon as Misty's body plunged into the cool waters of the lake, she immediately started to feel better. She had always felt more at home in the water. It was her element, her home, her oldest friend. She had learned how to swim about the same time she had learned how to walk, and always felt safe while doing so.

Of all the mean names her sisters had come up for her, the Tomboyish Mermaid was one that she accepted with pride, even making it her handle as a Gym Leader. Because that's what she was; the master of the waves. Even her sisters with all their silly swimming choreography couldn't match her, and they knew it!

And soon, Ash would too.

Misty's head broke the lake's surface. She shook the droplets from her hair and, seeing Ash still anxiously standing on the shore, she couldn't help but laugh. He just looked so nervous!

"Come on, Slowpoke!" she called to him as she floated her body to the surface and swam backwards away, legs splashing loudly. Still, she made sure to keep her head above water and her attention focused on Ash.

Ash looked like he was psyching himself up. He was muttering to himself, his hands shaking. Misty rolled her eyes. If this kept up much longer, then she might have to go back and strip him herself.

But then he took off his jacket.

Misty slowed down. And she stared.

When Misty had imagined what Ash would be like taking off his clothes for her, she had pictured him as awkward, anxious, embarrassed, and completely unsure of himself. As it turned out, she had been right on the money. He dropped his jacket in the grass and started to pull off his shirt, only to realize that his hat and gloves were still on, and hastily undid the gloves' Velcro straps before discarding them, followed by removing his hat and carefully, almost reverently placing it on top of his jacket. Then he gripped the edges of his shirt with both hands crisscrossing over his stomach and drew it up.

It would also seem that Misty had gotten how he looked mostly right. He wasn't as pudgy as she had pictured, but he still looked soft and smooth. And while Misty had seen plenty of boys her own age shirtless and had never thought much of it, in this particular instance and with this particular boy, she was inclined to pay attention.

And what she saw, she liked.

Misty stopped swimming. Treading water, she remained in one place, watching intently as Ash fiddled with his belt buckle, finally getting it undone, followed by him unbuttoning and unzipping his jeans. As he did, Misty reached down with one hand to start stroking her pussy lips.

Ash was about to push his pants down, but right before he did, he stopped and looked down at his feet, his face shifting from a dazed look of nervousness and excitement to one of irritation. Misty snickered when she realized what had happened. The doofus had forgotten to take his shoes off first. Rookie mistake!

Muttering again to himself in annoyance, Ash squatted down and hastily undid his shoelaces before practically ripping them off, followed by him yanking away his socks. That done, he took a deep breath and pushed down his pants.

As it turned out, May had been incorrect. Ash was a boxers kind of guy, specifically white printed with little red pokeballs. It did nothing to hide the tent that had been pitched in the front though.

Her brow raising, Misty began digging her fingers in harder to her sex.

Ash was muttering to himself even quicker now. He seized the elastic waistband, took a deep breath, and shoved his boxers down.

His penis sprung up the second it was freed.

Well, it seemed that Misty's mental picture had been pretty close once again. It was a lot smaller and more smooth than what she was used to seeing, but still twitching with excitement. Kind of like Ash himself, come to think of it. And for the first time ever, a boy had dropped his pants in front of her and didn't fill her with disgust.

Huh.

Now also in the nude, Ash apprehensively approached the lake's surface. He dipped a toe in, winced, and pulled it out.

Misty sighed. Oh boy, he was one _those,_ the kind that took forever to get into the water if it wasn't a heated pool.

Well, as fun as watching him sounded, she really didn't have time for that.

Hmmm.

As Ash continued to fidget on the shore, Misty lowered herself back under the surface and swam further down the shore before surfacing again. She glanced around to see if anyone was nearby, and finding no one, crept out of the water and onto the grass.

She then snuck back to Ash. He was now standing only calf-deep in the water and hadn't noticed her approaching.

Misty grinned. Well, as it turned out, Ash had a pretty cute ass as well. Nice, very nice!

As Ash continued to inch his way forward, Misty kept creeping up on him. As she drew closer, she was able to hear what he was mumbling.

"Come on, Ash," he was saying. "Come on. Be a big boy and just get in there. Sure, it's cold, and you're all naked and exposed, but Misty's waiting for you, so stop being such a wimp and get in there, you-"

Misty leaned in real close so that her lips were nearly brushing Ash's ear and whispered, "You what?"

Ash yelped in surprise and whirled around to face her, but as he did, Misty wrapped her arms around him and leapt back into the lake, pulling him with her.

The two hit the water together, and as soon as they did, Misty released the struggling Ash and shot off, putting some distance between them. When she surfaced, she saw Ash still thrashing and sputtering about in the shallows.

She laughed. She couldn't help it. The poor guy just looked so frazzled.

Hearing her, Ash stopped flailing about and turned to see her treading water. His normally spiky black hair was now hanging around his head in dripping streamers, and his face was burning with indignation.

It was a cute look for him, she had to admit.

"YOU!" Ash roared, and immediately started swimming toward her, his legs kicking and arms clumsily but energetically cutting through the water. Still laughing, Misty flipped around and shot off, daring her trainer to give chase.

…

Yellow was nervous. It wasn't something she was often. No matter what the situation, the outcome would not be changed by worrying or stressing over it, so why do either?

But she was nervous now. Because now she had to do something she really wasn't used to doing at all: apologize to someone.

She had to do it. She'd always known. But she just never could bring herself to do it. What if Ash rejected her apology? Then there was no way she could come back from that!

But she had to try. She knew that now.

"Okay," she said as she anxiously paced back and forth. "How about this: 'Ash, I am sorry that I told my Graveler to self-destruct.'"

Still seated on the log, May made a face. "Uh, that sounds stilted as heck. And it's really impersonal."

"Really? Okay, let me try again." Yellow cleared her throat. "'Ash, I am very sorry for not honoring our friendship and betraying you in our battle against Gary and Leaf.'"

"That's…a little better, but not by much. Honestly, you'd be better off with your handjob idea."

"Really?"

"No. Try putting a little more feeling into it, you know? Make it sound like you mean it."

"I do mean it!"

"I know, but you don't sound like it, that's the problem!"

Yellow sighed. Oh, why did this have to be so complicated? "Okay. 'Ash, I am really, really sorry about turning on you at the worst possible time and for not saying I'm sorry earlier. That was a mistake, and I apologize."

May nodded. "Okay, okay, we're getting there! Still sounds way too formal, but-"

"Pika!" Chuey suddenly cried in alarm. It had leapt up onto the end of the log and was staring out at the trees.

"Not now, my guy," May said. "This is-"

"No, wait," Yellow said, holding up a hand. Her eyes searched their surroundings. "Chuey's right. Something's wrong."

May shut up. She slowly rose up from the log and turned around.

There was no sound save the wind rustling the trees. If Yellow really strained her eyes, she could just make out what sounded like a Cubone crying far off in the distance. But other than that, she could hear nothing.

But something was there. She wasn't sure how she knew, but she knew.

May could feel it too; Yellow could tell. She had tensed up, her hands curling at her sides. "Maybe it's Ash and Misty," she said in a low voice. "Maybe they're coming back."

Yellow shook her head. "No," she whispered back. "It's not them. It's-"

_Twhack._

It was such a soft and sudden sound that Yellow and May didn't register it at first. But then something went sailing in a high arc over Yellow's head. And when she realized what it was, her heart almost stopped in her chest.

"PIIIIIIKAAAAAA!" Chuey cried as it tumbled through the air like a small yellow football.

"Chuey!" Yellow cried, reaching up at her closest companion.

"Holy _shit!"_ May blurted out. "How did-"

Suddenly a long, yellowing-green rope snapped up out of nowhere to grab onto Chuey in midair and whipped itself back to the ground, slamming Chuey into the dirt.

"NO!" Yellow screamed. She started to run to help, but then she heard May said, "Urg."

It was such a strange thing for May to say that Yellow had to stop and look back to see what she meant by that.

What she saw was so strange that she couldn't help but stare.

May's hands were on fire, a ball of flame enveloping each one. And yet, it didn't seem like they were hurting. Actually, it looked like she had done that herself, to better punch whatever it was that was attacking them.

 _Huh,_ Yellow thought, tilting her head. _She kinda looks like a Poke-_

Then she noticed that May's elbows had been tied behind her back by another sickly yellow rope, and another one had wrapped snugly around her neck and was pulling back, making her back arch. May twisted her body this way and that, trying to pull free, her reddening face grimacing with exertion and fear.

Then she started to glow red.

_Huh._

But whatever it was that May had planned, she didn't get the chance to enact it. Bluish vapor puffed out of the rope around her neck, covering her face.

May coughed once. And then she went limp, her red glow and the flames around her hands going out. She slumped to the ground and lay still.

Then the ropes began to crawl all over her, tying her up.

"Hey!" Yellow snapped. She ran for her discarded clothes, where Pidgeotto and Metapod's pokeballs still were. "Get away from her, you-"

The last thing she saw before everything went dark was something thin and yellow whistling through the air at her face.

…

Of course Ash had no chance of actually catching Misty, especially not in the water, so once he had come to his senses he had stopped chasing after her. And when he stopped chasing her, she stopped swimming away. And when she rose up from the water right next to him, all smiles and dripping carrot-orange hair, he had turned away and tried to sulk, but it was hard to stay angry when a cute naked girl was swimming so close to you.

Now the two were floating on their backs side-by-side, fingers entwined, staring up at the sky.

"So, uh, you do this a lot?" Ash asked.

"What, _swim?_ Uh, yeah? Maybe you missed the part where I specialize in _water_ Pokemon?"

"No, I mean…you know, doing it without clothes, and…"

"Oh, skinny dip!" Misty shrugged. "Honestly, not as much as you'd think. The whole being naked in public is more of May's thing, and she doesn't do well in water. For obvious reasons. But, you know, I do _indulge_ every now that then."

"Huh. Well, it is fun."

"It is," Misty agreed. And it was. Even when she didn't have anyone with her, there was just something so thrilling about the cool water running over her bare skin, coupled with the danger of being seen.

Of course, when she had someone with her it was even better. Granted, they weren't exactly doing much at the moment, just floating together staring up at the sky, but even that felt good, in a calming, comfortable sort of way.

"Hey, Misty?" Ash said at last. "I know things got really screwed up, but you know? I'm still glad I met you."

Misty breathed out. "Yeah. Me too."

"Really?" Ash honestly sounded surprised. And gratified. And kind of excited.

"Yeah," Misty said, still staring at the sky. "I mean, I really wish it had been under different circumstances…"

"You mean how I accidentally got a flock of Spearows chasing after us and you got struck by lightning trying to fight them off?"

"Yup. I really could have done without that."

"And how Team Rocket attacked us soon after and almost kidnapped you and May?"

"Well, I wasn't really conscious for that part, but yup. Also could've done without that."

"And the, uh, whole getting caught and ending up as an electric-type?"

Misty let out a slow exhale once again.

"Sorry."

"S'kay," Misty said after a pause. "Actually, the electric part is really the bit that gets to me. I really don't mind being your PokeGirl."

"Really?" Ash said again, his voice reaching an even higher pitch.

Misty's gaze slipped to the side. Ash was staring at her, and not at the bits of her that were poking up above the water's surface. Instead, he was looking right at her face, his eyes full of hope. Then she let her eyes rove downward. Sure enough, Ash's eager little penis was still flying high like a ship's mast.

Misty had to laugh. "Really."

Then she let her legs swing down and her body sink, so that she was again treading water. Seeing this, Ash did the same.

Facing him, Misty reached underwater to take both of his hands. She sighed and said, "Ash. Look. You know how I helped May run away from home?"

"Uh, yeah?"

"Well, before I met you, I was seriously considering doing the same."

"Huh?" Ash titled his head in puzzlement. "What do you mean?"

"I mean back home it's nothing but drama, nothing but stress, nothing but problems!" Misty groaned in exasperation. "There's like no end to the issues with my family, and my…" Realizing that she was about to slip that she was a Gym Leader, she quickly stopped herself. "Well, there's…problems. And I thought that being a, well, trainer would fix that, but it only makes things worse. None of the other trainers that I've met ever respect me, and even when I win! They're either making fun of me for being so young or hitting on me like creeps even though most of them are like twice my age!"

"Oh," Ash said. "W-Well, I'm glad to have you along! And I don't get why the other trainers would treat you like that. I mean, there's plenty of trainers our age, and you are by far the coolest I've ever met!"

At this point, Misty would be tempted to smirk and tease Ash, but honestly she was genuinely touched. "Thanks, Ash. You're, uh, probably the first other trainer to say that, and the first person since May."

"Really? Wow. That's, uh…"

Misty let go of Ash's fingers, but she didn't let go of him. Her hands traveled up his arms as she drew closer to him.

"…oh, um. H-Hey, are you…"

Her hands coming to rest on Ash's shoulders, Misty pressed herself against Ash, skin to skin, her chest sliding over his, his stiff cock squeezed in between their bellies.

Ash shut up.

For a bit, the two children just stayed that way, staring into each other's eyes, nothing moving but their legs as they treaded water, their calves occasionally brushing. From where their chests were touching, Misty could feel the frenzied pounding of Ash's heart, and she was certain that he could feel hers as well.

Then Misty took a deep breath to ready herself. Okay. This was it.

Closing her eyes, she leaned in and gently planted a kiss on Ash's lips.

He didn't respond.

Misty's stomach clenched up. What was wrong? Why wasn't he kissing her back? Didn't he know how this worked? When you went skinny-dipping with a pretty girl and she kissed you, then you kissed her back! Those were the rules!

Withdrawing, she opened her eyes again, ready to scowl with displeasure. But when she saw the look on his face, she couldn't help but laugh.

Ash looked absolutely _petrified!_ His eyes were bulging wide, his face tamato-berry red, and his mouth was hanging slightly agape. Good grief, what did he think was going to happen? Besides, after everything May had been doing to him, was he really so paralyzed by a kiss?

"First one, huh?" Misty said.

Swallowing, Ash gave a brief, trembling nod.

"Well, I guess I get _that_ much, at least. Buuuuuut, I'm really gonna need you to participate here. It's not polite to make the lady do all the work."

"O-Okay," Ash squeaked. "But…I really don't know what to do."

"Hmmm." Then Misty snaked one hand up to hold the back of Ash's head. "How about you just copy what I do? You'll get the feel for things after a while."

"Er, okay."

Then Misty glanced down. "Also, you really gotta do something with those hands of yours."

"Something?" Ash blinked. "What kind of something?"

"Well, you could try putting them on my hips."

"Your, uh…"

"Just pretend that we're dancing. Come on."

Ash hesitated, and then slipped his hands down to rest on her submerged waist.

"There you go." Misty again leaned in for a kiss, and this time, when their lips met, Ash responded.

He…honestly wasn't a very good kisser, but then neither had she been that first night with May. And there was something thrilling about tasting someone else's first kiss, about feeling them nervously fumble around, trying to learn how to do it right. It was kind of like dancing, after all.

Misty was patient with him, and showed him what to do with her own lips. Once he got over his initial shock, he was able to slow down, to start copying what she was doing and respond appropriately.

It was…nice, even in its awkwardness. And he tasted sweet.

Letting out a soft, pleased sigh, Misty parted and moved her mouth away, though her forehead still rested against Ash's. She blinked her eyes and glanced up into his. He looked dazed, bewildered, and deliriously happy.

That made her smile. She loved May dearly, but her aggressive sexuality could get to be a little much sometimes. Ash's boyish infatuation made for a nice change of pace, and it really did make her happy that he was responding so well to her.

Though speaking of responding, his cock was still sandwiched between their bodies, and if it had been stiff before, now it was trembling and twitching, ready to pop off at any moment

Not that she was much better. The flutters in her stomach had caught fire and were now burning brightly, and if it were not underwater, she was pretty sure her pussy would be drenched. As it was, her lower lips were quivering with anticipation and need, practically begging her to do what they both wanted and thrust herself onto Ash's dick as many times as he could handle.

And honestly, she couldn't think of a particularly good reason not to.

Before Ash knew what was happening, Misty lunged up, breaching the water up to her chest. Her legs wrapped around Ash's middle, and she seized his stunned face with both hands and thrust her mouth onto his, her tongue probing deep into his mouth.

As she did, she felt his hard sex press up against hers, the head dancing over her entrance.

As she continued to kiss him, Misty began rotating her hips, sliding the lips of her slit over Ash's cockhead. Just a little more and he would slide right into her. Just a little more…

What happened next could have, and should have, been avoided. Had they not been in the water, it would not have ended as bad as it did. And with a little training on how to control her power, the sort that every PokeGirl goes through, it wouldn't have happened at all. After all, when you are both perpetually and strongly aroused and in possession of godlike elemental power, you really had to be careful not to accidentally unleash that power on any lovers during the throes of passion.

Alas, Misty had experienced no such training. As such, as the excitement built within both of them, as she got ready to thrust herself upon him, a little bit of the power was released, and in the same place all of her energy so happened to be focused at that moment. It was much the same as when she had accidentally shocked May after being fingered by her, only then they hadn't been naked and in the water.

Ash suddenly jolted, his body bucking against hers. As first Misty thought that he was cumming prematurely, and sighed a bit.

"Really, man?" she said, drawing back from him. "I was this close to-"

Ash was lying limp in her grasp, eyes open but not looking at anything, his previously dripping hair now dry and poofed around his head.

"Ash?"

Ash said nothing. He began to slip bonelessly out of her grasp.

"Ash!"

…

With a pained groan, Bobby came, his ravaged dick pumping semen right into Melissa's canal.

Almost immediately he regretted it.

Normally making love to his beautiful PokeGirl was a pleasant experience, but as it turned out, given how burned his poor dick was, orgasms now hurt like hell.

"Ow," he mumbled. "Fuck, ow!"

Michelle immediately froze. "Sorry!" she said, hastily pulling herself off of him. "Sorry, does it hurt badly?"

Wincing, Bobby waved off her concern. "It's fine, it's fine," he said, though his clenched teeth made him a liar. "Just… _maybe_ we went too far, too soon."

Michelle stuck her lower lip out. "Poor baby," she crooned, stroking Bobby's hair. "You've had a rough time."

"Yeah," Bobby scowled. "Because you electrocuted me!"

At this, Michelle withdrew her hand. "I said I was sorry! It was those dumb kids!" She turned away in a huff.

Bobby winced. "Baby, I'm sorry," he said, reaching a hand toward her. "Don't be like that. You know I'm just upset! I got my dick toasted, so of course I'd be a little cranky!"

"Humph." Michelle readjusted her bikini, pushing her breasts back into place. "Well, maybe next time you want a quickie, you'll wait until you're not toasted anymore!"

Bobby might have said something then, but he found that he couldn't, mainly because something long, sinuous, and slimy had slithered onto his shoulders.

What?

Suddenly the thing tightened around his neck, choking off his air. It yanked back, slamming the back of his head into the ground. His vision exploded into stars, and the world swam around him.

He…He heard something. Something was happening. It sounded like screaming. It sounded like Michelle screaming. She was blasting something with electricity. But what? What was attacking them?

Then the screaming stopped.

Bobby blinked and tried to sit up, but could only raise his head. He could see something though. It looked like Michelle. Yup, that was definitely his PokeGirl. But…why was she naked all of a sudden? Sure, she was naked a lot, but she had been wearing a bikini not too long ago, and he didn't recall telling her to take it off.

Also, why was she sleeping? Now was not the time to take a nap!

And…was she tied up? Okay, she did spend a lot of time tied up and naked, but he didn't remember doing that. And his bondage rope was black, not slimy yellow!

Wait, were the ropes moving.

Though he was still dazed, Bobby's eyes followed the ropes away from Michelle's lifeless body, all the way down to-

Then he saw it. The thing that had knocked him silly, that was in the process of kidnapping Michelle.

Bobby's eyes popped wide open. What the hell? _What the hell?_

He tried to scream, but right about then the vine around his neck tightened, cutting off his air.

…

Ash and Misty sat side-by-side on the shore. Neither had put their clothes back on, though at that moment, their mutual nudity was the furthest thing from their minds. More concerning was how Ash's skin was now a shade or two darker than it had been, or that his hair, normally spiky anyway, was now poofed around his head, or the way he was trembling despite the balminess of the day.

That had hurt. That had hurt a _lot._ It had been like every atom in his body had been vibrating at intense speed while a Ponyta kicked him in the stomach. Things had gotten kind of fuzzy after that, but when they had cleared up, he was lying flat on his back, with Misty staring down at him in worry.

That part hadn't been so bad.

Fortunately, he hadn't been hurt _too_ badly. He still ached all over and felt completely drained, like he had spent the whole morning bench-pressing Onixes and then had ran a marathon, so he was totally wiped, but other than that he was okay. Misty had retrieved a bottle of the same anti-burn lotion that the teal-haired PokeGirl had been rubbing onto her trainer earlier and was now doing the same for Ash, squirting it into her hands and massaging it into his back and shoulders.

The irony was not lost on either of them.

Still, this part wasn't so bad either. The touch of Misty's hand on his bare (and slightly charred) skin felt _really_ good, and the lotion cool and soothing. It also hurt like heck, but he was not going to complain. He might not have many memories of his father, but there was one bit of wisdom he had imparted onto Ash before he had passed.

" _Son,"_ he had said. _"If you ever find yourself gravely injured and a beautiful woman wants to treat your wounds, you_ shut up _and_ let her. _Especially if she's naked."_

Granted, that had seemed an odd thing to teach a six-year-old, and Mom had smacked Dad right upside the head after that one, but he had at least been speaking from personal experience. And now, years later, he saw the wisdom in his father's learned words.

So though he was in a lot of pain, so though the pressure of Misty's fingers caused more pain to flare up, he was biting down on his tongue lest the beautiful naked girl stop.

Then her fingers dug into a particularly sore spot, and he couldn't keep from flinching. "Ow," he muttered.

Misty winced. "Sorry," she said, for what had to be the tenth time in the last five minutes.

Ash sighed. "Don't w-w-worry about it," he said, his teeth still chattering. "It w-was an ac-c-c-cident."

"Yeah, but even so…" The rest of the sentence trailed off, and Misty just returned to her work.

After a bit, Ash said, "W-Well, I g-g-guess I know how you f-f-felt."

Misty's hands paused. "Huh?"

"When you got s-s-struck by lightning. I got you elec-c-ctrocuted, and now you'v-ve z-z-zapped me!"

Misty made a face. “Not really the same thing. This was just an accidental discharge, while I got hit by a full bolt of lightning. This probably only was as bad as it was because of the water.”

“Oh.”

“Still, it knocked me right out and I didn’t wake up until after I was healed! So technically, yours hurts more!”

Ash laughed a little at that. “Y-Yeah. L-L-uck-cky me.”

The two sat together for a bit, side-by-side, looking out at the water.

"So, how are you feeling?" Misty said at last.

Ash shrugged. "Um, actually, a lot better. Still worn out, and everything's all twitchy, but other than that, I guess I'm okay."

"Good. Well, that's…that's good." Misty breathed out.

Then she glanced at him and smirked. "Well, I can see what you mean about being…twitchy."

"Huh?" Then Ash looked down, and saw that she was staring at his lap. And sure enough, his penis was sticking straight up.

"Wh-Hey!" Ash clapped both hands over it. "Don't stare at it!"

"Oh, give me a break! We're both naked here, and I've already shown you everything! Twice!"

"Yeah, b-but…" Then Ash sighed. She did have a point.

"Come on," Misty said, placing her hands on top of his. "Let me see."

Ash cringed, but didn't resist as Misty pulled his hands apart, leaving his little member exposed for her to examine. Closely.

"Well, huh." Misty was now lying on her stomach perpendicular to Ash's waist, propped up on her forearms as she stared. "You know, this…really isn't so bad. At least not compared to what I've seen."

"Uh…thanks? I'm sure what that means, but…"

Misty's nose wrinkled. "Oh, you wouldn't believe how many jerkface trainers think that battling against a little girl means it's okay to drop their pants right in my face, like that would scare me off."

"Wow." Though he really was trying to concentrate on the conversation, it was really hard when his eyes kept traveling towards the curve of Misty's butt. And if he tried to focus on her face, well, just a little bit lower were the two rosy mounds of her nipples. Just…out there for him to see. "That's…um, that's messed up."

"You don't know the half of it." Then Misty tilted her head and smiled. "But this…I don't mind this. It's not hairy and gross, it's not ugly and huge-"

"H-Hey!"

"Oh, get over it. Of course you're not big! Besides, I like it better this way. It's kind of cute, actually."

Ash's indignation died. "Oh. Well, th-thanks."

Then Misty glanced up at him. "Well, I've blueballed you once, and then I zapped you, so I guess I owe you a little something. Lean back, and close your eyes."

Ash's eyes went very wide. And then he squeezed them shut and flopped onto his back.

This proved to be a mistake, as his back was still tender, but he merely winced and bore it. He would bear getting disemboweled if it meant receiving what Misty was promising.

With the world now black to him, Ash heard the spurting of the lotion bottle, followed by the soft sloshes as Misty rubbed it over her hands.

Then her soft, cool hand closed over Ash's shaft.

Ash had to bite down on his lower lip to keep from groaning loudly. Misty's hand began gliding up and down in gentle strokes, as the cool of the lotion only encouraged the fire of Ash's arousal, drawing it further up and further out.

And it _hurt;_ oh, great saggy balls of Palkia it hurt! But it also felt _amazing!_ He hadn't even known that pleasure like this was even possible. If stroking his own penis had been a monumental discovery, then this was a revelation! Yes, the general mechanics were the same, but having it done to him by a beautiful naked girl, where he couldn't control the pace or the pressure, when he had to just lie back and trust her, just made it so much more special.

And not just any beautiful naked girl, but Misty, someone who was braver, smarter, and prettier than any girl he had ever seen (except maybe May, but that was a whole other thing), and who loved Pokemon just as much as he did. And not only was she the most amazing person he had ever met, she was _his._ She was _his_ PokeGirl, she belong to _him,_ and all setbacks aside, she seemed to like it!

Though she didn't stop rubbing Ash's dick, Misty suddenly adjusted her position. Ash frowned at the unexpected movement, but that frown turned into a surprised blink when he felt Misty's warm body snuggle up against him, her head nestled against his shoulder, the front of her torso pressed into his side, her groin up against his hips, and her leg thrown over both of his.

"Uh, M-Misty?" Ash stammered.

Misty looked up at him. "Hey," she said. "Who said you could open your eyes?"

Ash hastily shut his eyes again.

"Good. Now move your arm like this…" Using her free hand, Misty took hold of Ash's arm and maneuvered it so it was curved around her shoulders and down her back.

This time Ash couldn't keep from letting out a low groan. Misty just felt so soft and so warm in his embrace. If it weren't for the smoldering fire growing ever hotter under her increased administrations, he might have fallen asleep with her right there.

Then he realized how close his hand was getting to her backside and paused.

Misty noticed. "I don't recall telling you to freeze up," she said. "Come on, you know what to do with it."

Ash swallowed, but then gently, carefully laid his hand on the curve of Misty's butt.

"Oh, come on! I can barely even feel that! You can get a better grip than that!"

Ash hastily complied, digging into the firm, supple flesh with his fingertips.

"That's better. Now, just lay still."

Misty's hand squeezed just a little tighter: not enough to hurt, but just enough that he felt her more, and she picked up speed, pumping him with greater vigor. Then her hips began to move, gently sliding back and forth between pressing her butt into his hand and her sex against his hip, grinding her lower lips into his thigh.

"Okay," Misty slowly breathed out. "Okay. That's good. Just let me…Oh. Okay, yes. Keep that up, please!"

At first Ash didn't know what she was talking about, but then he realized that as Misty had begun to move her butt around in his grasp, he had unconsciously responded in kind, his fingers squeezing and massaging the cheek he held.

At being called out, he might have frozen up in embarrassment, but since she had specifically instructed him to keep it up, he did just that, exploring her marvelous butt with his hand while her pussy did the same to his hip and thigh. She started humping him harder and rubbing him faster, the two of them building up speed and warmth together, taking their pleasure from each other and giving it back.

…

_So it finally happened. This is where you've ended up._

Misty continued to pump Ash's cock, continued to hump his leg, hoping it would distract her from the thoughts that were intruding.

_You always looked down on all those trainers bragging about how much they wanted to catch you. You said it would never happen to you. But here you are, just another PokeGirl, jacking off her trainer._

_Shut up._

_Why? You know I'm right. Remember how you made fun of that other trainer for having sex with his PokeGirl so soon after she had electrocuted him? How is what you're doing any different?_

Closing her eyes, Misty just pumped harder.

_And you like it! You like debasing yourself like this. You always said that you're better than that. What happened? You're no better than your sisters._

It was true, Misty was enjoying it. She did like the feel of Ash's slick cock in her hands, how his fingers dug into her ass, or the heat that came from dragging her mound over his hip. It felt good.

No, it felt _great!_ Better than she could have ever imagined. A haze of lust had descended over her mind, and she just wanted to stay there, pleasuring Ash and being pleasured in turn.

A part of her recognized that she ought to be disgusted by this. A part of her was disgusted that she wasn't.

 _Let me have this,_ she thought. Ash's groans told her that he was coming close to completion. _I don't have much left. I deserve this at least._

_Remember when he offered to release you?_

_Shut up._

_Remember when you said no?_

_Shut up! I-_

And then she heard the sound of what sounded like a bush rustling in the wind, mixed with heavy footsteps, coming from behind her.

…

Ash groaned loudly. He was almost there. Just a little more, and he would be pushed over the edge.

And then, just before he was brought to the point of orgasm, Misty abruptly stopped. She let go of his penis and got up, leaving Ash lying by himself.

Ash tensed up in anticipation for whatever Misty was about to do next, whether it be finish the job with her mouth or even lower her pussy into him. Whatever it was, it promised to be spectacular.

But nothing happened.

What?

Ash then heard the sound of pained grunting, then Misty said, "Mmmpf!", her voice muffled.

Confused, Ash opened his eyes. And what he saw only made things stranger.

As it turned out, Misty hadn't gotten up, she had been _pulled_ up! She was held suspended in the air, kicking and punching futilely to the green tendrils that had wrapped around her wrists and ankles, with several more around her waist. Another tendril had bound itself around Misty's face, blocking off her mouth, keeping her from calling for help.

Ash's jaw dropped.

But even strange was the creature that had grabbed her. It looked like a forest come to life, a thick cluster of writhing greenish-yellow vines in a vaguely spherical shape. In the center of the mass was a pitch black hole, from which stared a pair of deranged-looking bloodshot eyes. It stood on a pair of stubby legs, ones wearing scuffed red shoes.

A _Tangela?!_ They were being attacked by a _Tangela?!_ But what was a Tangela doing here? Sure, Kanto had a native population, but it was very small, and they preferred the coasts to the south! Ash had never heard of any being spotted this far north!

However, the Tangela didn't look at all well. Its vines were a sickly shade of yellowish-green, mottled with brownish spots. Its shoes were worn and ragged, as if it had been doing a lot of running as of late. And then there were the bright red veins in its mad, bulging eyes.

The Pokemon wasn't sane; Ash could see that immediately.

And it had Misty.

"Hey!" he said scrambling to his feet. "Let her go, you-"

The Tangela let out a high-pitched shriek and lashed out with two vines. They struck Ash in the chest and sent him tumbling backwards.

That was bad enough, but as Ash's skin was still raw, it hurt twice at much: both at being struck, and sliding across the grass upon impact.

Pushing the pain from his mind, he scrambled to his feet. "Why you-" He spotted his stuff, lying in a small pile not far from where they were now: his clothes, his backpack…

And on his belt, Nidoran's pokeball.

Unfortunately, as soon as he glanced in the pile's direction, the Tangela took notice. It struck out again and again with its vines, driving Ash back away from his stuff.

"Muffffewwwww!" Misty said, or at least tried to. Then her hands began to glow yellow.

Ash's spirits lifted. That was right, Misty had powers! And sure, maybe grass-types were resistant to electric attacks, but they weren't immune, and if she could summon up the juice that he and May had seen her shooting off earlier, then the Tangela would be left a smoking mess in no time.

"HRURFF!" Misty thrust her hands down. Twin bolts of lightning shot down, right into the Tangela's tangled mass of vines.

The Tangela's stiffened as the electricity hit…and suddenly it disentangled four vines, which it then thrust into the ground with great force, breaking through the surface layer of grass and digging into the earth.

The electricity traveled down into the ground, leaving the Tangela mostly unharmed.

Misty's eyes went wide. She looked down at her hands, scowled, and began summoning up more power, determined to take the Tangela down through sheer persistence.

Then the Tangela's vines shivered, and suddenly a blue cloud exploded out of its head to envelop Misty.

Misty stiffened, and then her eyes rolled back into her head and she slumped lifelessly in the Tangela's grasp.

_Sleep powder!_

Still, dealing with Misty had given Ash the opening he needed. He darted past the Tangela toward his stuff. The Tangela still noticed, but the shock it had taken had slowed it a bit, and the vines that lashed out did so more clumsily, allowing Ash to dodge them with ease.

Ash snatched up Nidoran's pokeball and expanded it. Then he hurled it as hard as he could while yelling, "Nidoran, _I choose you!"_

Nidoran emerged into what had to be an absolutely bewildering scene.

On one end, its new trainer was standing naked with his penis sticking straight out and his skin now an unhealthy shade of red, the look on his face now utterly manic.

On the other was a crazed bush come to life holding a lifeless and naked Misty high above its head.

Nidoran looked from one bizarre spectacle to the other, a look of complete confusion on its purple face. "Nidor _an?"_ it said.

Ash didn't speak Pokemon, but he knew a "What the _hell?"_ when he heard it.

"Nidoran, that thing's kidnapping Misty!" Ash called. "Hit it with a poison sting!"

Nidoran immediately straightened at that. Then it focused on the Tangela, its beady eyes narrowing with malice.

Seeing that it was being challenged by an actual opponent, the Tangela planted its feet and threateningly waggled several tentacles in the air. "Tangi-Tangi-Tangi- _Tangi!"_ it shrieked.

Nidoran charged, its horn lowered and zeroing in on its target. In answer, the Tangela lashed out with one vine after another.

But as fast as it was, Nidoran was just a little faster. It rolled this way and that, dodging each strike and coming up running each time, never wavering in its charge.

" _Tangela!"_

The Tangela leapt back and whipped four vines at Nidoran at once. This time, instead of dodging, Nidoran leapt forward right at the vines.

Ash stiffened. What was Nidoran thinking? It was going to be hit!

But instead of being knocked senseless, Nidoran somehow managed to twist its body around so that it hit the body of the nearest vine with its forelegs, _ran up its length,_ and bounded off again, right at the Tangela's hidden face. The Tangela's bloodshot eyes widened even more when they saw the poisonous missile heading straight for them.

Ash pumped his arm in triumph, only to regret it when the sudden movement caused his singed skin to flare up again. His feelings of pride didn't dim though.

But then the Tangela threw itself back, Misty still hung suspended in the same spot, causing Nidoran to sail through the air between the Tangela and the captured PokeGirl, missing its target by mere centimeters.

"Ta-a-a-a-a-angela!" Sick-looking vines lashed out, striking at Nidoran's unprotected belly. They hit, and it let out a pained gasp as it was sent flying.

"Nidoran!" Ash cried as the little poisonous warrior was sent crashing back down to earth next to him.

Then another vine hit him right between the eyes, and the whole world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys, it’s been a hot minute, hasn’t it? Like, almost two months?
> 
> Well, what happened is this: after the last chapter went up, all of my other projects suddenly had a bunch of deadlines hit all in a row, so I spent a few weeks working on that. And when I was done with those and came back to this story, I had major writer’s block! And when I fought my way through that and got a rough draft done, I suddenly had a plethora of ideas, which sometimes can be as delaying as not being able to write at all. 
> 
> And through all that, this chapter just kept getting longer and longer until I decided to break it apart again. Yes, it was originally going to be even bigger. So, you can consider the previous chapter, this chapter, and the next one all part of one storyline that was originally supposed to be one chapter.
> 
> But the good news is that the next update is almost done, so I’ll go ahead and put it up…let’s say a week from Sunday.
> 
> That having been said, a few interesting things happened since the last update. First, this story reached twenty-one thousand hits on FFN and another eight thousand views plus over a hundred kudos on ao3! So, that’s pretty cool!
> 
> Second…oh my God, a sequel to Girls’ Hunter dropped! Like, the original rom hack that inspired this story! I haven’t even finished the first one yet! I kept running into bugs and had to teach myself the basics of rom hacking to fix them! And now there’s two? Jesus Christ.
> 
> Of course I can’t wait to play it.
> 
> And finally…okay, this is more funny than anything. 
> 
> So, I’m not at all unaware that this story has a ton of, let’s say objectionable content, the kind that would probably make a lot of people kind of angry. And while I feel that this being a work of silly fiction made for shits and giggles and that I do not endorse any of this happening in real life gives it something of a pass, I totally get why someone else would really have a problem with it, which is why I was so up front in my disclaimer. That being said, every time I get a review long after a chapter’s been put up, I always brace myself a little just in case this is the one that’ll be calling me out or whatever.
> 
> Well, it finally happened. Someone read the first chapter, got angry, and ripped my ass in a review.
> 
> Why?
> 
> Because that trainer that gave Ash all those human balls had a Braviary on his shoulder, and according to the PokeDex, a Braviary would be too big to ride on a person’s shoulder.
> 
> I’m not joking. Out of everything, that is what they had a problem with. Like, really dude? Really?
> 
> So…yeah.


	10. The Tangly, Tentacled Terror of Tangela!

Ash wasn't sure how long he had been knocked senseless, but it couldn't have been more than a few seconds. However, when he came to, he was lying flat on his back, staring at the sky, every bit of his body either aching or stinging, with Nidoran anxiously nudging his side.

"Ugh," he said as he gingerly sat up. "Wha…"

Then he remembered.

"Oh no, Misty!" he cried, bounding to his feet. Panicked, he looked around wildly, but there was no sign of Misty or the Tangela. It had gotten away clean.

"Hey! You, naked kid!"

Ash turned to see, to his dismay, the redheaded trainer from before, the same he and May had accidentally electrocuted the day before and he and Misty had spied on having sex just a few minutes ago, still only wearing swimming trunks, though admittedly that was more than Ash had going for him at the moment.

The trainer looked to be in a state of complete disarray. His skin was still singed, though now it had several white stripes across his chest, face, and neck, as if he had been struck by something long and fast and then also strangled.

"Did you see a crazy Tangela come this way?" the trainer demanded.

Ash stared. "See one? It attacked me and kidnapped my friend!"

"Aw, no!" The trainer seized his own head in anguish. "Me too! And it took my PokeGirl!"

"Wait, you too?" This was bad. The Tangela wasn't only insane, it was on a rampage! "Well, it went after me not long ago, so it couldn't have gone far. So let's team up and-"

"Whoa, wait, are you _insane?!"_ The trainer gawked. "Go after that lunatic? No way!"

Ash stared. "But it took your PokeGirl! Don't you want to at least rescue her?"

But the redheaded trainer was already running the other way. "Plenty more where she came from, and I'm not getting anywhere near that thing again! Also, put some pants on, jeez!"

"Wait!" Ash called after him. "You can't-"

But he was gone.

Ash stared after him in disbelief. Did that guy seriously just abandon his own PokeGirl, just to save his hide? What an absolute coward! PokeGirl, Pokemon, or anyone, you just didn't abandon your friends like that! He didn't even deserve to have a trainer's license!

Then he looked down to Nidoran, who was also staring after the lousy, weak-willed excuse for a trainer. "Nido?"

"I know, right? I can't believe it either!"

Nidoran turned its head and spat contemptuously into the grass. "Nidoran!" it hissed.

"Exactly!" Then Ash pounded his fist into his palm. "Well, we're not quitters like him! Come on, Nidoran! Let's go save Misty!"

Nidoran bobbed its head in enthusiastic agreement. "Nidoran!"

But then Ash turned to where his stuff had been piled, and his heart dropped.

It was all gone.

"Uh, Nidoran?" he said. "Where are my clothes?"

In answer, Nidoran faced the direction the Tangela and gone and pointed with its horn. "Doran!"

Ash's face fell. "Seriously? The Tangela kidnapped Misty _and_ stole my clothes? What is with that thing?"

Nidoran shrugged.

Ash searched the area to find anything that the Tangela had left behind, but found very little. Not only had it taken his stuff, but Misty's as well. "Stupid, crazy shrubbery," he muttered as he kicked the grass around. "What did I ever do to-"

Then his eyes fell upon something lying not far away.

Ash snatched it up. It was his hat, probably knocked aside in the Tangela's haste. However, it was the only piece of his belongings that had been left behind.

Then Ash scowled. Well, fine! If he and Nidoran had to do this with nothing but their skins, then that was the way it was going to be.

"Come on!" he said, and the two of them set off, running after the Tangela.

Fortunately, the Tangela's trail wasn't hard to pick up, as it had done nothing to cover its tracks. Not only were its footprints still visible in the grass, but it was apparently leaking some kind of yellow slime, leaving droplets smeared all over the place.

Ash and Nidoran followed the path to where it led into Viridian forest. Once inside, the going became more difficult, as patches of grass became less frequent, and the trees more thickly clustered together.

Still, the two of them soldiered on. The splatters of yellow slime never stopped, and neither did they. As they pressed forward, Ash tried to put together a plan in his head.

_Okay, so Tangelas are pure grass-type. That makes them vulnerable to poison attacks. So if Nidoran can land just one poison sting, then it's sure to cripple it, or at least really slow it down. The only problem are those vines and how to get past-_

"Ash!"

Ash froze. Oh, no. Not her, not now, not with him like this.

He hastily looked around for something to cover him but, upon finding nothing, grabbed his hat off his head and used it to cover his crotch.

"Ash, over here!"

"Okay, but don't look! I'm-"

The words died in Ash's throat.

Yellow was completely naked, her skinny little body bare from head to toe. The last time Ash had seen her like that they had been _three,_ and their moms had been giving them a bath together! The closest he had come since was seeing her in a bathing suit, and that had been a fairly modest one-piece!

And yet here she was, all in the nude, and seemingly unconcerned about it at all, the only coverage she had being Chuey, who was held in her arms and thus technically covered up her smooth chest.

"Uh, what in the world…?" Ash wondered out loud.

Oblivious to his bewilderment, Yellow ran up to him and immediately began talking. "We gotta go! This crazy Pokemon attacked us and took May, and now…why are you naked?"

Ash blinked. "Why am I naked? Why are _you_ naked?"

"Because May was teaching me how to masturbate, and you can't do that with your clothes on, silly!" Sure enough, moisture was gleaming around her vagina.

A _lot_ of moisture.

Ash's jaw dropped. What was it with him and all the girls in his life suddenly having absolutely no shame whatsoever?

And why was it that Yellow got that kind of action literally within minutes of meeting May, when all he got was teased?

Something inside him went a little crazy then. Though he would never in a million years admit what he and Misty had been doing right up until she had gotten kidnapped, Yellow's frank description of her and May's activities filled him with the need to respond in kind. "Uh, well, _I'm_ naked because me and Misty went skinny-dipping, and then she gave me a handjob!"

"Oooooh, okay!" Yellow said, nodding. "That makes sense!"

Ash's life had gotten just so bizarre, and he had no idea how to react anymore.

Then something Yellow had said suddenly grabbed his focus. "Wait, did you say a Pokemon attacked you and took May?"

"Uh-huh! It was this big, viney thing with yellow eyes. It looked like a bush that someone peed on!"

"The Tangela!" Ash exclaimed. "It attacked us too, and took Misty!"

"Oh no, her too?"

"Yeah, and it took my clothes! That's why I'm still naked!"

"Me too! It put her to sleep and knocked me and Chuey aside, and when I got up, it was gone with May and my clothes!"

Ash was really starting to get hot, and for reasons nothing to do with his singed skin or the plethora of naked girls he had been exposed to recently. Rather, he was getting _mad._ The Tangela had attacked him, kidnapped his friends, and took all of his stuff! Misty and May were now in grave danger.

However, though he had been left with very little, he was _not_ going to turn tail like that cowardly trainer! He was not going to abandon his girls, no matter what! If that Tangela wanted to take his friends, then it was going to have to kill him first.

"Well, I'm going after it!" he declared. "I don't care if I'm naked, I don't care if it's just me and Nidoran, we're going to find it, and we're going to make it regret ever kidnapping my friends!"

"Hooray!" Yellow cheered, pumping an arm into the air. "A rescue operation! Let's go!"

Ash blinked. "Hey, wait a minute! Who says _you're_ coming?"

At this, Chuey bristled. "Pika!" it snapped.

"Nido!" Nidoran growled back.

"Huh?" In contrast to the two irked Pokemon, Yellow just looked confused. "Of course I'm coming! You're going to need all the help you can get!"

Ash was about to snap that no, he did _not_ need help, especially not her help, and after what she had pulled, she was lucky that he didn't just tell her to get lost.

But he didn't. Because as much as he hated to admit it, she was right. He _did_ need help. And for all her faults, Yellow was a talented trainer.

"All right," he reluctantly said. "We'll work together."

Nidoran's head snapped around to stare at him. "Nidoran!" it cried in indignation.

"Oh, knock that off! That thing has Misty and May! You can put up with working with them long enough to save our friends!"

Nidoran cast a spiteful glower at Chuey, but then it sighed in resignation.

"Great!" Yellow said. "So, let's go!"

She and Chuey immediately took off running, following the splatters of slime.

Ash sighed.

Then he glanced down at Nidoran, who was eyeing him reproachfully, as if to say, "This was your idea, remember?"

"Oh, what are you looking at?" Ash muttered as he moved to follow. "It's not like we have much of a choice."

The pair went after Yellow and Chuey. Hopefully they would find the Tangela quickly, before it had the chance to hurt their friends or anyone else.

…

In another part of the forest, a small campsite had been torn to pieces, the campers left lying hurt and broken on the ground.

A young man named Marty lay quivering on his back, clutching at his side. His rib felt broken. The whole area was flaring with pain, and it felt wrong to his fingers. He tried to move, but fell back gasping.

Raticate and Dodrio both lay senseless to either side of him, just as beaten down as he was. The fight had been quick, thorough, and brutal. None of them had stood a chance.

From nearby came the plodding of heavy footsteps, along with the swishing of several long and thin objects being dragged through the grass. "…Tan _ge_ laaaa…."

Craning his neck, Marty tried to see what their assailant was doing. One of its vines had cracked across his forehead like a whip, splitting the skin. Blood was trickling into his right eye, forcing him to squint, but he could still see out of his left.

The diseased Tangela that had attacked him was making its way across his camp's remains, several of its mottled yellow vines dragging limply behind it. He had delved heart of Viridian Forest, hoping for a powerful bug Pokemon like a Butterfree or a Venomoth, and had set up camp in a clearing that bordered the road. It was airy, well-lit, and full of wildflowers. He had thought it would be safe enough, even this deep into the notorious forest.

He couldn't have been more wrong.

"Wh-Why?" he stuttered. It was pointless, as of course the Tangela couldn't respond, but he couldn't help but say it. _"Why?"_

The Tangela paused its trek. Then it turned just enough to glower at him with bloodshot eyes.

"Tan…" it gurgled, and continued on.

Right toward Rochelle.

Fear seized at Marty's heart. "No!" he gasped, reaching out toward the Tangela. "Stay away from her!"

Rochelle had been the first thing the Tangela had taken out. She and Marty had been sitting at camp, idly preparing lunch while discussing what kind of bugs they were likely to find. Then, as Marty had turned away to tend to the hotdogs, she had let out a small gasp. He had thought that she had accidentally pricked herself on a thorn or something.

But when he had turned back toward her, he saw her suspended in the air, two sickly vines wrapped around her arms, another around her waist, while a fourth had her by the neck, choking her unconscious. Then blue powder had exploded all around her, putting her down cold.

Which she still was.

"Don't!" Marty begged. "Please, don't hurt her!"

The Tangela ignored him. Its vines slithered down, wrapping around and around Rochelle's lifeless body, binding her tight. Then it lifted her up.

"No! Take me! Take me, and let her go!"

Holding Rochelle aloft over its head, the Tangela turned back to the trees and marched off, its trailing vines dribbling sticky slime as it went.

"Rochelle! No, let her go! Don't take her! Rochelle, wake up! Please, wake up!"

…

Ash and Yellow plunged deep into Viridian Forest, hoping to find what they were looking for quickly. Unfortunately, even with the slime splatters, keeping onto the Tangela's trail proved to be a lot harder than Ash would have liked.

Viridian Forest was just so big and so thick, with the gnarled trees growing closely together, and the canopy overhead cutting all but slim slivers of sunlight. Sure, there were well-worn paths for travelers to use, but they were far from those. Soon Ash and Nidoran were gingerly making their way through a knotted cluster of tree roots, stepping around piles of dead and rotting leaves for fear of what might be hiding inside, and ducking grasping branches.

"Come on, come on," Ash muttered as he squeezed his way through the gap between two closely growing tree trunks. "Where's the slime, where's the stupid slime?"

That was another problem. Out in the open field, the Tangela's slime had been bright and easy to spot, but in the shadows of the forest, it was a lot harder to pick out. Plus, there was a lot of _other_ kinds of slime to throw him off.

This was gross. And terrifying. And Ash _still_ hurt all over from the shock he had taken. And having to climb around all those rough-barked trees while naked was _not_ helping!

But most of all, he was worried sick for Misty and May, as well as any other innocent PokeGirl the Tangela might have taken. Heck, he was even worried about Yellow! He had lost sight of her pretty quickly, and if the Tangela ambushed her now, she was going to be helpless.

Ash still didn't like her, but not even she deserved that.

Finally he stopped and sighed. He had completely lost track of the trail. "What about you?" he said to Nidoran. "Any luck?"

Despite its small size, Nidoran was having an easier time navigating the rough and uneven forest floor, as its small, burrowing claws were ideal for scampering over the roots. It paused, and lifted its head to sniff the musty air.

"Ni!" it said, and pointed its horn in a particular direction.

Ash squinted. The direction Nidoran had indicated didn't seem all that different from any other direction. "Are you sure?"

"Ni! Nido!"

"Well, if you say so."

The two of them set off, Ash's eyes roving for any sign of the slime, any sign of the trail, any sign of Yellow, any sign of anything!

They got a few meters in when Nidoran suddenly stopped.

"What's wrong?" Ash said.

Nidoran looked around, as if confused. Then it sniffed the air again and pointed its horn in another direction, this time with less certainty.

"Uh, are you _sure?"_

Nidoran shrugged. That was less than what Ash was hoping for.

They headed off again, with Nidoran pausing every few steps to take another sniff of the air.

"You do know where you're going, right?" Ash said.

Nidoran looked around. Then it let out a small whine.

"Really?" Ash felt his heart sink in his chest. "So, we're lost? Completely?"

Nidoran's ears lowered in shame.

This wasn't good. Ash had only narrowly avoided being torn apart by angry wild Pokemon just a few days ago, and those had been run-of-the-mill Spearows, the sort that could be found easily around boring old Pallet Town. Viridian Forest was home to monsters that were far more vicious, far more dangerous, far more…

Ash took a step and it squished. Looking down, he saw to his dismay that he had stepped in something slimy. Not the yellow slime he had been looking for, but some kind of grey goop. Gagging, he yanked his foot out and scraped it on a nearby rock.

…disgusting. Far more disgusting.

Then he paused. He had heard something shuffling, up ahead.

"Hey," he said, crouching down. "You see that?"

Nidoran tilted its head. Then its eyes narrowed.

There was something moving through the shadows up ahead, something that looked kind of hunched forward. Creeping forward, Ash tried to get a good look at it.

"Yellow?" he said in a low tone. "Is that you?"

The shuffling stopped. But now that he was closer, he saw that no, it wasn't Yellow. It wasn't the Tangela either.

The thing turned, and Ash saw two large, curving horns protruding from the top of its head, both of them studded with spikes.

Then the thing snarled.

Moments later, Ash was frantically charging back the way he came, Nidoran clutched in his arms, both of them absolutely terrified, as a large and very angry bug chased after them.

" _Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin_ SIR!"

"A Pinsir!" Ash wailed. "Why did it have to be a Pinsir?"

"Dori!" Nidoran yelped in agreement.

He continued to flee blindly through the forest, as the Pinsir huffed and growled behind him. He could hear it tearing its way through the roots and branches with its pincers, ripping everything in its way to shreds.

Which, soon enough, would include him.

Then, just when he could practically feel those hard pincers closing around his neck, several things happened in quick succession.

First, he saw several bright flashes of light, coming from the trees up ahead.

Second, he heard a shrill, feminine shriek, high and sustained.

The third is he also heard what very much sounded like the buzzing of a giant insect's wings, coming right at him.

The fourth is that right after he had registered all of that, he crashed headlong right into Yellow, who was running in the opposite direction.

The two young, naked trainers smacked their skulls right into each other and tumbled to the ground, where they lay groaning and rubbing their heads. Ash was already having difficulty seeing in the darkness of the forest, but now everything was all swimmy and disjointed.

Then he shook his head to clear away the stars and tried to focus on the equally dazed Yellow, who was lying in an untidy heap over several gnarled tree roots with all of her skinny limbs sprawled in every direction, her irritating Pikachu lying draped over a bush.

"…uh…" Ash struggled to pick himself up. "Yellow? What-"

"PIIIIIIIIIIIIIN _SSSSSIIIIIIIIIIR!"_

Ash froze! Oh no, now the Pinsir was going to get him and rip them both apart!

He heard it leap and instinctively ducked, his hands covering his head. He knew that it was useless, but what else could he do?

The Pinsir sailed right at him…and kept going, clearing him completely, to slam into something large and coming in fast the other way.

The two crashed into the underbrush, and soon Ash heard the sounds of enraged hissing and what genuinely sounded like metal blades clashing. He craned his neck to see the Pinsir locked in mortal combat with something as tall as he was, with a sharp-edged triangular head and two massive blades affixed to the ends of its forearms.

"Scyther!" shrieked the Pinsir's combatant as struck at the Pinsir's horns again and again. _"Scyther!"_

A _Scyther?!_ They were being attacked by both a _Pinsir_ and a _Scyther?!_ How was that fair?

Well, at least they were now going after each other instead of the soft and vulnerable humans. Ash locked eyes with Yellow and, by silent agreement, the two rolled onto their hands and knees and hastily scampered away, their own Pokemon following close behind.

When the sounds of the two bug Pokemon's titanic battle had faded enough that they felt safe, they paused for a moment to catch their breath.

"Ash," Yellow panted, leaning with one hand against a tree for support. "What happened? You just…You just disappeared!"

"Couldn't…keep up," Ash gasped. He was leaning forward his hands on his knees as he struggled to inhale. "Lost sight of you. Got lost."

Yellow's face fell. "Us too. I was following the Tangela, but then I couldn't find any more slime, and then you were gone, and the next thing I knew that Scyther was chasing us!"

"Ooooh," Ash moaned as he sat back on another thick cluster of roots. "So we're _both_ lost? How are we supposed to find my friends now-"

Then he paused. "I…just sat in something gross."

"Ew."

He stood up. Sure enough, the roots were covered with a slick layer of glistening goop.

Which was now all over his butt.

"Aw, man!" He grabbed a nearby stick and tried to scrape it off, a process that was both disgusting and painful, given the state of his skin. "Yuck! Yuck! Yuck-"

Then he paused. It was hard to tell in the dim light, but the slime that now smeared the stick looked pale yellow.

Noticing this, he and Yellow locked eyes. Then Yellow knelt down and picked up her Pikachu.

"Chuey," she said in a low voice. "Use flash."

She then held the Pikachu out with both hands and turned her eye and closed her eyes. Chuey took a deep breath, and then it began to glow brightly.

The light illuminated several slime splatters all over the trees, and forming a clear path.

"We found it," Ash said.

Yellow set Chuey back down, and the four of them picked their way through the underbrush. The going was actually easier than it had been before. Though it didn't look it at a glance, there was actually clear trail that wound its way through the trees, probably made by the Tangela itself.

"This place is _sooooo_ cool," Yellow whispered as they walked.

Ash shot her a sidelong look. "Really?" he said. "It's a creepy, slimy, gross forest filled with deadly bugs!"

"I know! Isn't it great?"

Ash sighed and kept going.

"I mean, can you imagine how many secrets must be hidden here? I kind of want to stay and just explore, see what I can-"

"Okay," Ash said in a terse tone. "I get it."

"Well, don't you? I mean, just think of what you can-"

"I _said_ I _get it,_ Yellow!"

Yellow thankfully shut up then. Finally.

They kept on for a bit, navigating their way forward. All the while Ash kept running strategies through his head. They were at a terrible disadvantage. They only had two Pokemon, and one was at a type disadvantage. What was more, the Tangela had already shown that it knew how to ground out electrical attacks entirely. Sure, Nidoran's poison sting ought to be effective, but that was assuming it got close enough to hit. What was more, they were going to be fighting it on its home turf.

_We might die here._

The thought sent chills down Ash's bare back. He had faced death far too many times for comfort over the last few days. Whether it be the Spearows to Team Rocket to getting friend while making out with Misty to a deranged Tangela, it did seem like the world was keeping him in a constant state of terror. Which, okay, one basically signed up for just by becoming a trainer, but this was way too much too fast.

Still, that wasn't going to stop him. His friends were in danger. That was more important than anything.

"Hey, Ash?" Yellow said in a small voice.

Ash sighed. _"What?"_

"Do you hate me because of what happened at Pokemon Trainer Camp?"

Ash stopped dead in his tracks.

Then he turned to look at her.

Yellow was looking right at him, her big, golden eyes scared and vulnerable.

It was weird, but when he had first seen her naked a few minutes earlier, she didn't seem nearly as exposed as she was now.

Sighing, Ash said, "Is this really the best time?"

"Well…"

"No. I don't hate you. I never did. But…" Ash made a face. "I…just don't really like you as much anymore."

Yellow swallowed noisily at that. This was probably the most hurt Ash had ever seen her. It almost sent a twang of guilt running through him.

Almost.

"I didn't think you would be that mad," she said in a low voice.

Something inside Ash exploded right about then.

"Well, I am!" he snapped. "Dang it, Yellow! What did you think would happen? That I would just be okay with you backstabbing me? We were partners! I had your back! Why couldn't you have mine?"

"PIKA!" Chuey snapped, indignant on behalf of its trainer.

"Oh, don't you start!" Ash snapped back as he turned from both of them. "This has nothing to do with you."

They continued on, and Yellow stayed quiet this time.

Ash, however, was silently fuming. Now? Yellow wanted to talk about what happened _now?_ She had two years to deal with what happened, and she waited until now to feel bad?

 _And she probably still won't say that she's sorry,_ Ash bitterly thought to himself.

Then he sighed and shook his head. No, he couldn't afford to get distracted now. Misty and May were in danger. That had to take precedence.

The slime trail took them to an upward slope. Ash pushed away a curtain of hanging moss, and suddenly they were out in the open.

Well, not really, but they had come to a small clearing, a break in the trees that surrounded a small, grassy hill. Ash, Yellow, Nidoran, and Chuey crept up the hill and crouched between a small thicket of bushes at the top.

Ash peeked out from behind the branches, and when he saw what was on the other side, his chest seized up.

On the other side of the hill was a steep drop, and at the bottom a wall of dirt and stone rose up. A large alcove had been carved out of the wall, and inside was what had to be the Tangela's nest.

Except it was unlike any Pokemon nest Ash had ever seen or read about. It was…odd. Irrational. And kind of disturbing.

It had accumulated all sorts of strange odds and ends, from piles of trash carefully and meticulously gathered together to pieces of scrap metal and glass. There were piles of bones, which was troubling, as Tangelas weren't predators. However, these weren't strewn about like the remains of prey animals would be, but also gathered together in piles and categorized by type, from a stack of tiny femurs to two piles of skulls, which seemed to be of Rattata and Pidgey.

Ash really hoped that it had just come across those bones.

Then he saw something that made him think that it probably hadn't. There was a collection of Kakuna and Metapod husks. Well, there were probably plenty of those to be found in the forest, but next to them was a stack of what looked like Butterfree wings, torn free. And next to them were several yellow spikes, their bottoms trailing stringy guts.

Beedrill stingers. The Tangela must be the terror of the forest.

But was even weirder were all the broken machines, most of them just common appliances, with things like air-conditioners, washing machines, and lawn mowers, all taken apart put together to form a… _something!_ It honestly looked like a bunch of kids had grabbed a bunch of smashed appliances from a scrapyard and used them to build the bridge of an imaginary spaceship. If one squinted, one could see what looked like a massive computer panel, even if it was just the controls of a couple of washing machines and a few calculators, with smashed televisions and the front of a microwave forming the monitors.

Actually, the thing it reminded Ash of the most was Professor Oak's laboratory. Of course, the lab wasn't a cave filled with trash, but something about the lay of the garbage, as well as how carefully the oddments were collected, had a laboratory look about it.

And lying in neat rows in the center of the cave were the PokeGirls.

Misty and May were both there, as was the redheaded trainer's abandoned electric-type girl. There were two others as well, one of them a tall and beautiful blonde woman with the curves and the expertly done hair of a professional model, and a petite and thin teenaged girl. All five were, like Ash and Yellow, completely nude, though whether they had been that way when the Tangela found them or it had stripped them itself could go either way. Regardless, they were also unconscious, courtesy of the Tangela's sleep powder.

The Tangela was nowhere to be seen.

Grimacing, Ash and Yellow ducked back into the shelter of the bush. "Where is it?" Yellow whispered. "Where's that crazy Pokemon?"

"No idea," Ash said. "But I don't like that it's gone."

"Why? We can just go in and save them!"

"Because I'd rather know where it is! If it just shows up before we can get them out, then-"

Suddenly Yellow's eyes went wide, and she clapped a hand over Ash's mouth. "Shhh!"

Ash fell silent and looked where Yellow was pointing.

The Tangela had come home, and it wasn't alone.

A _sixth_ PokeGirl was held over its head, her body lying limp, this one a dark-skinned girl with short and shiny black hair. Muttering gibberish to itself, the Tangela went over to the rest of its collection and, with a gentleness and care that frankly surprised Ash, laid her in line with the others.

That done, the Tangela then scurried over to the network of strange carvings on the wall and, still blabbering nonsense, snatched up several sharp pieces of metal, and began cutting even more strange signs.

"What's it doing?" Yellow whispered.

"I have no idea," Ash admitted.

"Because that looks like a trainer's registration card. You know, the one that lists their team, badges, and everything? Only, you know, totally coocoo."

Ash frowned. Come to think of it, Yellow did have a point. Granted, it followed no known format of any actual registration card, but if you squinted and tilted your head, familiar patterns did began to emerge. They just weren't connected in any known (or sane) manner.

"Maybe it wants to battle in this year's League Tournament," Yellow said. "And it's just gathering a team."

While he was still sort of cross with her, Ash couldn't help but snort a little at the joke.

"What? What'd I say that's funny?"

Oh, right. This was Yellow. She probably wasn't joking.

"Um, nothing. Never mind."

The Tangela continued carving into the wall, all the while gibbering the syllables of its name to itself. It seemed…really angry, but also utterly focused on its task. Squinting, Ash leaned forward a bit to try to get a better look at what it was carving.

Then his knee bumped a small stone, pushing it closer to the edge.

Then gravity took hold, and the stone slipped.

The stone slipped and fell into the crevice between the hill and the Tangela's lair, bouncing and the clacking the whole way down.

Ash slowly grimaced. Oh _crap._

He looked to the side. Yellow, Nidoran, and Chuey were all staring silently at him. Then, in unison, they all sighed. They didn't say anything, but then, they didn't need to.

Then there came a loud, metallic clattering.

The Tangela had frozen in place, its vines still extended. But the various bits of metal it had been using to write on the wall had dropped from its grasp.

Oh no.

The Tangela just stood there, though, completely unmoving, completely silent. Wait, had it heard them? Or was it just being weird again.

Then there came a gross squishing noise.

Both of its feet started rotating outward in opposite directions from one another, turning a full one-hundred and eighty degrees until they were facing away from the cave wall. Then the vines protruding from its back started vibrating like nest of angry Ekans.

The squishing noise grew louder, and the Tangela's back opened up, pulling aside from a black hole. Then, as if they were being pushed through jello, its veiny yellow eyes emerged from the black, both of them narrowed with fury.

" _TANGELA!"_ it roared.

And then it leapt.

"Jump!" Ash cried, and he and Yellow only just managed to leap out of the way as the Tangela crashed right into the bush they had been hiding behind.

The Tangela thrashed and whipped, tearing the bush apart. It looked around wildly until its eyes centered on Ash, who had landed flat on his back.

"Uh…wait!" Ash cried as he tried to back away. "Don't-"

" _TANGELA!"_ The Tangela leapt at him again, more than a dozen of its sickly vines rearing back to strike.

And then a bolt of lightning hit it.

It wasn't enough to hurt it badly, but it did surprise the Tangela, and it did knock it off course so that it ended up crashing in a heap a couple meters away from Ash, who quickly scrambled to his feet and got away.

"Great going, Chuey!" Yellow jumped up and down in celebration. "Now, thunder wave."

The little electric rodent was already charging up, sparks flying from its cheeks. "Pika… _CHU!"_

The Tangela was already righting itself, using its vines to push itself up onto its feet. "Tange…"

Then the surge of electricity smacked right into its back. The Tangela fell over again and started twitching.

"Got it!"

Ash grinned. With the Tangela now paralyzed, the next part ought to be a sinch! "All right, Nidoran. Poison sting!"

Nidoran had already righted itself from needing to dive out of the way, and was now ready to go. It lowered its horn, pawed the earth with one foreleg, and charged.

But then the Tangela suddenly swept one of its vines around, smacking Nidoran right in the ear and sending it tumbling.

"What?" Ash's jaw dropped. "No way! It's supposed to be paralyzed!"

"It is!" Yellow pointed. "Look!"

Sure enough, the Tangela was still shaking and shaking hard. Every movement seemed to be a battle, and just standing up again was causing it pain.

But it was still moving, still fighting through the paralysis through sheer force of will. Ash swallowed. He had never heard of any Pokemon capable of doing anything like that!

"Uh…Chuey! Use thunder-"

But as Yellow was shouting out commands, the Tangela's eyes suddenly focused on the Pikachu, and it swiped out with two vines, their tips wrapped around each other to form a club. They hit Chuey right in its stomach and sent it flying.

"PIIIIIIIKAAAAAAAA!-"

"Chuey!" Yellow cried, reaching out after him. "No-"

Then the vines clubbed her in the stomach. She gasped and fell to her knees, hands wrapped around her middle.

"Hey!" Ash shouted as he ran toward the shivering plant monster. "Stay away from her, you-"

This proved a poor strategy, as the Tangela merely whipped its vines at _him_ instead.

The next thing Ash knew, he was tumbling through the air, arms and legs flailing, sailing right for…

Oh.

He slammed right into Yellow, and the two of them went down hard, landing in a tangle of limbs.

"Ugh…" Ash shook his head to try to clear the stars away. His raw skin was now throbbing like crazy, and now he had a monster headache on top of it.

Then his vision cleared, and he saw that his face was centimeters away from Yellow's vagina.

"Erk!"

"Ash, your penis is shoving into my nose," Yellow said.

"Then get off of me!" Ash hastily pushed the skinny girl off of him.

Yellow irritably rubbed her nose. "Why are you getting turned on? Do you like getting beat up or something?"

"No, I am _not_ getting turned on, it's just-"

Then the two of them fell silent.

The Tangela, though still twitching from the paralysis, was now on its feet and advancing, forcing one shaking foot in front of the other, its eyes gleaming with madness and malice.

Yellow whimpered. Ash agreed.

"…Taaaannnnngeeeeeelaaaaa…" the Tangela growled, the threat in its tone evident.

Now quite heedless of their nudity and troubled past, Ash and Yellow reached for each other and held tight as the monster Tangela came closer and closer.

The Tangela then raised its vines up over its head. "TANGE-"

Then a blast of electricity struck it in the side, making it wince.

"-la?"

A second later a purple blur swept by, hitting one of its feet before running off again, causing the Tangela to go to one knee.

Nidoran and Chuey were back, now standing side-by-side and determined to do damage. Chuey's little paws were bunched into fists, and arcs of electricity were shooting up around its head, while Nidoran had its head lowered, poison dripping from its horn, once again pawing at the ground.

"Hey, all right!" Ash said, perking up.

"Way to go, guys!" Yellow cheered.

Then the two looked at each other, and they both nodded.

"All right, Chuey! Keep it moving with agility!" Yellow called.

At the same time, Ash yelled out, "Nidoran, get ready!"

The Tangela was again turning to face its new opponents in that strange, disturbing manner as before, with its feet rotating around and its face melting back into its vines to push out on the other end.

However, just as the eyes sounded like they were emerging, Ash shouted, "Now, _leer!"_

Nidoran's eyes glowed bright yellow. _"Nidi!"_

Hit with the full blast, the Tangela stumbled backward. "TAH!" Then it shook it off, and launched four vines out. However, its aim was off, and Nidoran had no trouble dodging.

Meanwhile, Chuey had been following its trainer's instructions and was running in a wide circle around the stunned Tangela. "Keep running, Chuey!" Yellow called. "And…thundershock!"

An electric blast shot out from the Pikachu and struck the Tangela, nearly sending it sprawling.

"Again!"

Another blast.

"Again!"

But this time the Tangela saw it coming, and just like it had with Misty, thrust four vines into the earth to ground out the electrical attacks.

But that was when Nidoran made its move.

"Double kick!" Ash shouted, but he probably didn't need to, as Nidoran already had the same idea. It darted between the four grounded vines and thrust one powerful hindleg at the Tangela's foot, rolled around, and did the same to the other before scampering off again.

The Tangela fell right onto its face.

"It's working!" Yellow said.

"Yeah, we got this!" Ash agreed. "So let's finish it off!"

"All right!" With one hand on her bony hip, Yellow thrust the other one out and declared, "Chuey! Now use-"

Suddenly, the Tangela's face emerged _from the top of its head,_ and it thrust another vine out, not at Chuey, but in _front_ of it.

Already in full charge, the Pikachu was unable to stop in time and slammed right into it face-first. It was flipped off its feet and was sent sprawling.

"Chuey, no!" Yellow cried, aghast.

The Tangela was _again_ forcing itself to its feet, its enraged yellow eyes now turning a shade of purple. It zeroed in on the fallen Pikachu, puffed up like it was inhaling, and then thrust itself forward a step, a noxious purple cloud shooting out of its body right at Chuey.

Chuey looked up just in time to see the attack coming. It froze, and then closed its eyes shut.

The cloud stopped a little more than halfway there.

"Huh?" both Ash and Yellow said.

Then the cloud began to clear, and they saw Nidoran standing in its midst, having taken the full hit and looking completely unharmed.

"Uh…" Then a lightbulb went off in Ash's head. "Oh, right! Poison type!" He clenched a fist. "All right, let's try this again, Nidoran! Get ready to charge! Poison-"

Then the Tangela swatted Nidoran aside with contemptuous ease. A second later Chuey was also knocked sprawling.

Oh no.

"This isn't working!" Yellow said. "Every time they get a break, it just knocks them down!"

"Yeah, it's those tentacles," Ash said. "There's just too many! We've gotten lucky before, but we won't be able to…"

Suddenly Ash's mind flashed back to the first fight with the Tangela, when Nidoran had been able to run right up one of the vine's length to attack, and when the Tangela had used its vines to divert Misty's electricity into the ground. And then he got an idea.

Nidoran might not be agile enough to get through those many vines for a third time, but maybe it wouldn't have to.

"Yellow, have Chuey keep the Tangela distracted," Ash said.

"Got it!" Raising her voice, Yellow called, "Chuey! Keep your distance but keep blasting!"

The Pikachu shook off the aftereffects of getting knocked around and nodded in acknowledgement. It then blasted the Tangela again and immediately ran off.

As for Ash, he quickly ran to Nidoran's side. "Okay, we're going to try poison sting again," he said in a low voice. "Only this time, don't go for the main body, go for the vines!"

Nidoran shot him a sidelong look.

"Look, it's all connected, right? So if you manage to poison just one part of it, the whole thing will be affected!"

At this, Nidoran's eyes went wide. Then they narrowed in a very humanlike smirk, and it refocused on the Tangela.

As for the Tangela, it was now very much enraged and trying to smash Chuey into a pulp, who in turn was keeping its distance and zapping its opponent at every available opportunity. It wasn't doing much damage, but it was annoying it.

"All right, Nidoran!" Ash called. "Now's your chance! Use-"

Then Chuey slipped.

It might've been a root. It might've been a rock. Heck, it might've been nothing at all; it didn't matter.

What mattered is that the sprinting Pikachu lost its footing, and in that split second of stalling, the Tangela attacked.

It snatched Chuey up in its vines and squeezed. The little electric Pokemon struggled and writhed in pain, and when that failed to free it, its whole body light up with lightning, surging down into the Tangela's body.

But just like it had with Misty, the Tangela responded by thrusting more vines through the grass and into the dirt, grounding out the electricity. Chuey didn't give up though, and just continued on shocking.

Then, as the Tangela stood their covered with surging sparks and arching electricity, its mad eyes narrowed. It turned to glower at Ash.

Ash froze up.

"TAN! GEH! LAAAAAAAAA!" With a primal scream of hate, the Tangela drew back and threw Chuey right at him, its body still covered with lightning.

And Ash was so petrified by fear that he could do nothing but stare at the incoming yellow missile.

"Ash, LOOK OUT!"

Something slammed into Ash, knocking him down.

And then he heard the sound of a scream.

Ash looked up. Yellow was standing over him, her back arched, arms and legs held stiffly out, her unbound hair sticking straight up. Chuey had hit her in the chest and the electric shock that had been intended for Ash was now surging through her body.

"Yellow!" Ash quickly swept his leg around, knocking Yellow's feet out from under her. That did the trick of dislodging the dazed Pikachu and disconnecting the circuit, and the two tumbled to the ground where they both lay still.

"Yellow, no!" Ash scrambled to her side, praying that it wasn't happening again, that someone else hadn't been nearly shocked to death for his sake.

"Ugh," Yellow groaned. Her eyes were spinning, but she didn't look almost dead like Misty had been. "Chuey, stop playing. It's time for nappies!"

Ash sighed in relief. Okay, she didn't seem to have taken much more of a shock than he had earlier.

"Tan?"

Ash turned. The Tangela was standing and staring them, its eyes now more confused than anything, as if it couldn't comprehend why one creature would endanger itself for another's sake.

But more importantly, he saw Nidoran crouching down behind the Tangela's back, ready to charge.

Ash gritted his teeth. It was time.

"Go, now!" Ash shouted, making sure the Tangela could hear his voice. "POISON STING!"

Nidoran hunkered down and was off. "NIDORAN!"

The Tangela turned and, seeing Nidoran charging, shrieked in anger, and lashed out with more vines to stop it.

"Nidoran! Do it _now!"_

Nidoran leapt, but this time not to dodge the incoming vines, but instead threw itself right at them. The foremost vine hit…right on the tip of Nidoran's horn, which plunged right in.

The Tangela immediately stiffened. "TAAAAAAAA-" it shrieked in pain, and started whipping its vine back and forth, trying to dislodge the creature that had impaled it. But Nidoran was stuck good, and had managed to somehow grab on with all four of its legs and hold on while its horn injected pure poison into the vine.

Finally the Tangela reared its vine back and brought it crashing down to the earth, slamming Nidoran's body hard against the ground, finally knocking it free.

"Nidoran!" Ash hurried to his fallen Pokemon's side. Nidoran was struggling to right itself, but was clearly in pain.

And then a shadow fell over the two of them.

The Tangela was advancing, more than two dozen vines arrayed out around it, ready to tear the two of them limb-from-limb.

Ash gulped. This was it.

"Tange…"

And then the Tangela froze. The sickly yellow of its vines flushed into a _very_ sickly purple, and its eyes lost focus. It took a wobbling step, pitched to the side, and fell into an untidy heap.

Ash blinked. It had worked. It had actually worked!

And then, a miracle.

"Ash!"

Ash looked up to see the most beautiful sight he had seen all day, and he had already seen Misty naked. It was the PokeGirls! Misty, May, and the others, all of them awake, and now pulling themselves up onto the ledge.

Misty had something in her hands. "Catch!"

She threw it at him, and he reached up and caught it. It was his belt, with all of his empty pokeballs still attached.

Ash understood immediately. He popped one off, expanded it, and hurled it at the fallen Tangela.

The Tangela's diseased body disintegrated into red light, which was then swallowed up by the pokeball.

Ash slumped with relief, as did the others. Finally it was over. They were safe.

The pokeball fell to the ground. It shook once, and then twice-

And then it exploded, pieces of plastic, metal, and rubber shooting off in all directions! Ash yelped as the shrapnel pelted his still-burned skin.

But what he saw was far worse.

The Tangela was _again_ on its feet, still poisoned, still paralyzed, but on its feet nevertheless and standing over him, having mustered enough willpower to rip apart its nemesis before finally succumbing to its injuries.

" _Tangela…"_ it hissed, and it began to extended its shaking vines at the dumbstruck boy. " _Tange-"_

And then a fireball shot in out of nowhere and fully enveloped the whole thing. The Tangela screamed as it burned. Ash cried and covered himself with his arms as the heat washed over him.

Then the fire cleared, and the Tangela was now a crispy mess, one that blinked once before toppling over again.

Over at the ledge, May blew the smoke rising from her fingertip.

Second time was the charm! Ash grabbed another pokeball, expanded it, and threw. The pokeball swallowed up the Tangela and dropped to the ground, much like its failed comrade had. There, it quivered once, twice, and then sat still, the light of its lock winking out.

Ash and Nidoran both inhaled in sync and exhaled at the same time. Wow, that had been something.

"Ugh," Yellow mumbled as she sat up. She still looked pretty dazed, but thankfully she would be okay. "What happened…"

Then she noticed the inert pokeball.

"YOU DID IT!" Yellow suddenly threw herself at Ash, squeezing him tightly. "YOU DID IT, YOU DID IT!"

Oh, it hurt like anything, but at that moment Ash was feeling too happy to care. "No!" he said, dislodging her arms and holding onto her hands. _"WE_ did it!"

The two friends grinned at one another, and then they grabbed each other in a mutually painful embrace.

As they did, Ash felt something ease off of him, a weight he had been carrying around for a long time, one full of resentment and bitterness that he hadn't even known he had been carrying. Not completely, of course. There was still a lot unsettled with his former friends. But this much had been resolved at least.

"Pika!" Chuey cheered as it happily bounded onto Yellow's shoulder.

"Nido!" Nidoran scampered onto Ash's leg and wormed its way into his arms.

"And here's the real heroes!" Ash said as he held Nidoran up.

"Oh, you guys were wonderful!" Yellow added as Chuey happily nuzzled her cheek.

"Yeah, they were great," Ash said. Then he looked up and saw what was currently incoming. "Oh, brace yourself."

Seconds later they were bowled over by a very happy May.

"My heroes!" she cried, throwing her arms around the both of them, following by kissing them both on the forehead. "Mwah! Mwah!"

Ash and Yellow both grinned, and for pretty much the same reason. After all, May had already gotten handsy with them both, so the extra attention was appreciated. As was the close contact.

And then Ash went stiff, in more ways than one. A soft weight settled on both of his shoulders as naked feminine flesh pressed against his back.

"So, these are our brave heroes," said the blonde lady as she draped her arms over Ash's chest, her breasts settling on either side of his neck and her chin resting on the top of his head. "You kids are something else, you know that?"

"They're adorable is what they are!" exclaimed the curvy, teal-haired woman. She swept Yellow up in her arms and crushed her into her bosom. Yellow both grimaced and grinned in pain and gratitude.

The teenaged brunette knelt down in front of Ash. "Uh, thank you," she said with a shy blush. "I don't know what would have happened to us if you weren't there." She leaned in and planted a kiss on his cheek, leaving his face burning and his head feeling light.

"Aw, just the cheek?" the blonde said. "Come on, Sally! Boy Wonder here deserves more than that!"

"Hmmm, nuh-uh!" May said, placing an arm between Sally and Ash. "Sorry, but someone's already got first dibs on that."

"Oh, _really_ now?" The blonde leaned her head in over Ash's shoulder. Lighting touching his cheek with one perfectly manicured nail, she tilted his blushing face toward hers. "And just how many fair maidens are on this ladykiller's list, and how does one reserve a spot?"

In that moment, Ash was suddenly very glad that he seemed incapable of making a mess during orgasm, because otherwise he would now be in danger of making a mess over everyone.

"Er, hey, so I don't, like, have a clue what's going on?" said the dark-haired PokeGirl as she walked up to all of them. "Who are all you people? Why are we all naked? What's with the kids?"

"You got kidnapped by a Tangela!" Yellow said cheerfully, still happily held in the electric PokeGirl's arms. "We saved you!"

The dark-haired PokeGirl stared. "Uh, okay? So…why are _you_ naked?"

"Because I was masturbating right before-"

"Okay, okay!" The PokeGirl hastily turned around and walked off, her hands held in the air. "Don't need to hear about no kids diddling themselves, thank you very much!"

Ash sighed. "Uh, yeah. We should really get our clothes back."

"But that does raise a question," said the blonde PokeGirl, who still had Ash's head nestled between her breasts. "Did my eyes deceive me, or did you shoot an ember out of your finger there, little girl?"

May stiffened. "Who, me?" She let out a very fake laugh and flicked her wrist in an exaggerated manner. "No! You, uh, must've been seeing things! It was probably that other PokeGirl over there. She looks like a fire-type, doesn't she?"

"No I'm not! I'm a ground-type!"

May was now sweating openly. "Uh, well, then it probably was-"

"Michelle!"

"Huh?" the teal-haired PokeGirl still holding onto Yellow looked up in surprise. "Bobby?"

"Oh, thanks heavens," May breathed as everyone turned their attention from her.

It was Michelle's still slightly-roasted trainer, the one who had ran out on her earlier. He was now fully dressed and joined by a mousy-looking young woman wearing thick glasses and a shapeless black sweater and a young, gawky-looking man in a green tee-shirt and glasses, one who was painfully limping and holding onto his side with one hand.

"Michelle, oh, blessings to Jirachi!" Bobby panted. "I-"

"VIOLET!" The teenaged PokeGirl sprinted forward, knocking Bobby aside to throw herself as the mousy young woman, who gladly opened her arms to receive her.

Bobby groaned and struggled to sit up, only to get knocked over by the young man in glasses.

"Rochelle! Ohmigoodness, you're okay!" he breathed as he and the dark-haired PokeGirl happily threw their arms around each other.

"Marty, you came back for me!" she cried into his shoulder.

"Well, this is where we part!" the blonde PokeGirl said. "Thanks again, kid! Owe yah one!"

"Huh?" Ash said. "I-"

Then she was gone, jogging over to join Sally and Violet.

"Oh."

Then May looped an arm around his shoulders. "Don't sweat it, champ," she said. "You still got one cute naked girl sticking with you. Appreciate the nudity, by the way. It's a good look for you!"

"Uh…thanks?"

Then the two of them noticed that there was still one kidnapped PokeGirl that had not run joyfully to reunite with her trainer.

Michelle had set Yellow down, much to her disappointment, and was now glowering at Bobby, who was again struggling to right himself. "So," she said. "You finally showed up. After the kids had to come save the day."

"Finally?" he gawked. "I ran to get help immediately!" He turned to Ash. "Right, kid? You saw me, back me up!"

Ash quirked an eyebrow. He said nothing.

"Uh, what?" Violet said. "I had to basically browbeat you into coming when I ran into you. You were all set to run all the way back to Viridian City!"

"Dude, seriously?" Marty said. "You were just gonna run out on your PokeGirl like that? I cracked a rib and I still came!"

"I knew it!" Michelle then stomped over to him, grabbed him by the ear, and began dragging him away.

"Ow! Baby, wait! Stop! My skin's still tender!"

"Tender? _Tender?_ Oh, it'll be more then tender when I get done with you! Seriously, leaving me in the clutches of that monster, and letting a couple of little kids do all the work? Did you even try to follow?"

"Please, I'm sorry, I'll never do it again!"

Everyone watched them go. When they had finally gone out of earshot, May breathed out.

"Whew," she said. "Who is training who, exactly? Hey, were those the same guys we accidentally walked in on yesterday?"

"Yup," Ash said. "Those were them."

May grinned. "Well, it's probably going to be _him_ in the gimp suit from now on."

Looking totally confused, the young woman identified as Violet cleared her throat and approached the pair, followed by her PokeGirls. "So, I don't have any idea what happened, I just know that you saved some people who are very special to me," she said to Ash and Yellow.

"The same!" Marty said, his arm around Rochelle's waist. "We owe you one, guys!"

"Uh…it's fine! It's fine!" Ash said hastily. "We were just trying to save our own friends! But…happy we could help!"

"You sure?" Violet said, pulling out a wallet. "You still deserve some kind of reward though. Um, here!" She thrust a handful of bills into Ash's hands.

"Great idea! Here's some from me!" Marty handed another wad of money to Yellow.

Ash blinked. It was…a lot. Much more than he had ever owned, much less held. "Wait, you don't have to-"

Then May laid a hand over Ash's. "Keep it," she said. "You're going to need whatever you can get for your journey."

"Well, I'm definitely keeping this!" Yellow chortled as she thumbed her own wad of cash.

"You're welcome to it!" Marty said. "And if there's anything else we-"

"Uh, thanks," May said. "But…maybe you can give us some privacy so we can find our clothes and get out of here?"

It was then that Marty and Violet seemed to realize that they were the only two actually wearing clothing. They exchanged glances and their faces reddened.

"Er, good point," Violet said. "But we can't just leave you here! This forest is dangerous!"

"It's fine, it's fine!" May said, waving them off. "We have our own Pokemon. You all go off and celebrate. We'll head out ourselves in bit."

"If you say so," Violet said dubiously.

"Good luck!" Sally chimed in.

"Yeah, seriously," intoned the blonde woman, whose name Ash hadn't caught.

The older trainers and PokeGirls all turned to leave, but right as they did, the blonde woman glanced over her shoulder at Ash, then at May. She smirked, and winked at the pair.

"Huh," Ash said as they left. "What do you think she meant by that."

May sighed. "That she figured out that I'm a PokeGirl," she said. "But I don't think she's going to tell anyone."

"Wait, you're a _PokeGirl?!"_ Yellow gawked. "Ash!"

Ash buried his face in his palm. "It wasn't me!"

"Chill, chill, it was Misty," May said hastily. "And I asked her to do it, it's fine!"

"Yeah, but-"

May glowered, her eyes flashing red.

Yellow shut up.

Wincing, Ash set Nidoran down and stood up. Now that things had settled down, his body, already aching from his electric shock earlier, now was hurting even more from all those lacerations. "Ow," he muttered.

Sighing, Yellow sat down. "Same."

"You guys okay?" May said.

"We got beat up a lot and electrocuted," Yellow said.

"Like…badly?" May said, sounding concerned. "I noticed you're both kinda, um, toasty."

Chuey bashfully bowed its head.

"Oh, it's not your fault," Yellow said, scratching its ear.

"Wow, it got you both?" May said.

Ash winced. "No, I got zapped, well, I got zapped by Misty. It was an accident though!"

May snorted. "Oof. Yeah, accidental discharge. I had a problem with that when I got my fire powers.

"Wait, Misty's PokeGirl too?" Yellow said.

May waved her off. "It's a long story, just leave it. But, um, we'd all appreciate it if you…"

"Wait, Misty!" Fear gripped Ash's heart when he realized that when all those PokeGirls had rushed up to greet them, Misty had not been among them. He wildly looked around, praying that she was okay. "Where is she? Misty, can you hear me? Where are-"

"Here."

Ash blinked. Then he headed back up the hill and looked over.

Misty was back in the Tangela's lair, over by the pile of pilfered belongings. She had pulled her clothes back on and was kneeling down to tie her shoes.

"I'm fine," she said as she rose.

May walked over to stand next to Ash. "Are you sure?" she said in concern. "That Tangela didn't-"

Snatching her backpack off the ground, Misty walked off without a word.

Ash stared after her. What was wrong with her? Why was she giving them the cold shoulder? Was she really okay? Had the Tangela done something to her?

He was about to follow her, but then May laid a hand on his shoulder. "Just leave her alone."

"But-"

"It's like I said last night. If Misty wants to be alone, it's best to just let her. Going after her will just make things worse."

…

Once she was out of sight and earshot of everyone, Misty sat down with her back against a tree. She hugged her knees to her chest and stared out at the forest without actually focusing on anything.

She had a _lot_ of thinking to do.

As she sat there in thought, she heard the sound of rustling. Misty stiffened. Was it another crazy Pokemon? Had that Tangela escaped? Was it (oh, please no!) a deadly bug Pokemon? That would just be the icing on this big cake of suck.

But then something small and yellow hopped out of the underbrush and stood up straight to stare at her. "Pi-Pi?" Chuey said, tilting its head.

Misty sighed and relaxed. "Oh, it's just you," she said. "Hi."

Chuey hopped over and placed a paw on her thigh, looking up at her in evident concern.

Reaching over to ruffle the little Pikachu's ears, Misty said, "You know, you got it pretty good. You don't have to worry about who or what you're supposed to be. You were born what you are, and you're probably perfectly happy that way. I kinda envy you."

Then she looked back to the dark forest. "Me? I'm all twisted up here. I mean, sure, me and May might've been making fun of Ash for his bad luck, but it's not like I have it much better. It feels like no matter what I do, it just goes _wrong."_

"Chu?"

"And it's not fair! Like, what the heck?! I try to be a responsible Gym Leader, and everyone treats me like dirt! I try to do take some time for myself, and I get chased by a jerk! I try to save some idiot, and I get hit by lightning! I try to do the whole PokeGirl thing, and…just look at today! What's it take, huh? Ugh!" She slammed her fist back against the tree she had been leaning again.

Chuey's ears drooped. "Chu…"

"Yeah, I know," Misty sighed. "Enough whining. It's time to make a decision."

…

As it turned out, the Tangela had kept as meticulous care of everyone's stolen property as it had everything else in its bizarre lair. Ash, May, and Yellow were able to find their clothes and belongings as easily as Misty had, and quickly suited up.

Once he was again fully clothed, Ash turned his attention to the lair itself. There was something so weird about how the Tangela had arranged all of its salvaged pieces of junk, a deliberate design that was escaping him. He had no idea what its intentions had been, but just looking around he could tell that while it had definitely been crazy, its madness had definite purpose.

But what? What was it trying to accomplish?

As he studied the carvings in the wall, he heard footsteps coming up from behind. Turning, he saw Yellow there, her face downcast and partially hidden by her big straw hat. Standing right behind her with her hand on Yellow's shoulder was May.

"Uh, yeah?" Ash said.

May tapped Yellow's shoulder. "Now, go on," she said. "You promised."

Wincing, Yellow looked up, and Ash could see that her face was now a faint shade of embarrassed pink.

"Ash? Can I…talk to you?"

"Er…sure?" Ash scratched the back of his neck in confusion, only to immediately regret it when the burning flashes reminded him of how raw his skin still was. May had helpfully lathered more of that anti-burn cream onto both of them before they had dressed (which they had both greatly enjoyed) and it had helped, but it would be a while before they were at a hundred percent again.

The two went over to sit down on an upturned refrigerator. Strangely enough, Yellow actually seemed nervous, which she rarely ever was. She was jiggling her right leg while thrumming her fingers onto the refrigerator's side, which she always did during the rare cases in which she was agitated.

"Ash, I…I just…" She closed her eyes. "Okay. Now, I'm not really good at this, but I'm going to try. So…just hear me out, okay?"

Ash blinked. Then he nodded.

"Okay. So…" Yellow breathed out. "I'm sorry about what I did back at Pokemon Trainer Camp. I know how much winning meant to you. I know how much Gary picked on you for losing. And I know that you trusted me, and that I betrayed that trust."

Her eyes were starting to water, so she wiped them with her arm before continuing. "I didn't mean for things to get as messed up as they did. I just wanted Leaf to be proud of me, but I just made things worse, and I really didn't mean to embarrass you like that, and I'm sorry I didn't say sorry earlier, but…" She bowed her head again, her feet shuffling in the dirt. "Um, well, sorry. For everything."

Ash blinked. He had _not_ been expecting that, and quite frankly wasn't sure how to respond. "Oh, uh, well, I…"

"I know, I should've said this a long time ago. But I really thought that if I acted like everything was normal, then you'd let it go!" Yellow sighed. "But May explained to me how much I had hurt your feelings, and that I really screwed things up. So…I guess I owe you a lot of sorries. So I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"

"Yellow, it's fine!" Ash hastily cut in. If he let her, she would be chanting apologies for the rest of the day.

Yellow perked up. "It is?" she said hopefully.

Ash sighed. "Okay. Look. Yes, I was mad at you. And…okay, I'm still kind of ticked. But, well, I guess…"

"The lady apologized, Ash," May called from just outside the Tangela's lair. "Be a gentleman and accept."

Ash shot her a dirty look. "Well, okay. It…wasn't really all your doing. Gary would've been rotten to me anyway. I mean I was still mad, but…well, thanks. And…thanks for saving my bacon back there. And for helping me save Misty and May. And, well…"

Realizing that he should probably be clear, Ash said, "All right. Thank you for apologizing. And…I forgive you."

"You…You do?"

"Yeah."

Yellow hesitated, and then lifted her head just enough to peek shyly out from beneath the brim of her hat.

She really was cute, Ash realized. Maybe not as beautiful or alluring as Misty or May, but definitely cute. How had he never noticed before?

He cleared his throat. "So, um, you know we did make a pretty good team back there."

"Yeah," Yellow said, lifting her head a little more. "We did."

"Well…hey, why don't you come with us? I mean, we're both on the same journey, and training together would make it easier for both of us. It could be, you know, fun. Like old times."

Yellow seemed very tempted by his offer, but in the end she shook her head. "Thanks, but I think I'm going to hang out here for a while longer," she said. "Badges were never really my thing, and I just want to get to know my Pokemon better before I move on. Besides, there's lots of secrets in Viridian Forest that no one's uncovered. Maybe I can be the one to find them!"

"Uh, really? Are you sure? Viridian Forest is pretty weird, from what I hear."

"Then I'll fit right in!" Yellow giggled. "But I'll go with you guys as far as Pewter City. That's your next stop, right?"

Ash nodded.

"Then it's settled!"

Then, before Ash could react, Yellow pounced, tackling him with an enthusiastic embrace just like the one she had given him that morning. At first Ash instinctively drew back, but then he stopped himself and wrapped his arms around her in return.

"I'm glad we're friends again," Yellow said, her face pressed into his chest.

"Yeah," Ash said. "Me too."

Smiling, Yellow rose up on her toes and pressed her lips against Ash's.

Ash's eyes went wide.

"Oh, oops! Wrong kind of kiss!" Yellow hastily moved over to plant a kiss on Ash's cheek. "There. Better?"

Ash rubbed his cheek. "Well, less…awkward, anyway."

"Sorry, still learning about this stuff. Didn't mean to make it weird!" Then, just as abruptly as she had jumped onto him, Yellow pulled away. "Anyway, I'd better go feed Chuey! All this battling really gives him an appetite!"

With that, she spun on her heels and ran off, leaving Ash and May staring mystified after her.

"Huh, she is a strange one," May said, walking up to take Yellow's place sitting next to Ash.

Ash sighed. "You have no idea."

"Still, it's great that you guys made up. And hey! You got a new Pokemon out of it too!" She glanced down at his belt, where the Tangela's minimized pokeball was hanging. "Granted, it's a deranged lunatic that you really probably shouldn't start training without having it looked at by a professional first."

"You would know, huh?"

May burst out laughing. "Exactly! Nothing like a lunatic to spot a lunatic!"

Ash touched the raw spot on his chest where the vines had lashed him and winced. "It seemed pretty obvious to me."

"Oh, yeah. Hey, what do you think that Tangela's deal was, anyway?"

"Not a clue," Ash admitted. "I mean, it was pretty obviously targeting PokeGirls, but it didn't seem to want to, you know, violate any of you, it just wanted to collect you."

"That's no fun."

Ash sighed. "Yeah, you would think that." He glanced back down at the inert pokeball. "I just hope we can find someone that can help it. The poor guy's had to have been through a lot."

" _That's_ for sure."

The two stood together, looking at the strange lair of a strange Pokemon. Then Ash said. "By the way, did you _really_ have to have sex with my ex-girlfriend?"

May burst out laughing with that.

"I'm serious!" Ash protested.

"Oh yeah? Didn't make a special point about how she most definitely was never your _real_ girlfriend?"

Ash indignantly folded his arms. "That was before we made up! Besides, after all that talk of first dibs and everything…"

May rolled her eyes. "I'm not your PokeGirl, Ash. I'm Misty's! And me and Misty have a very special understanding."

"What, one where you can basically just have sex with whoever you want?"

"Within reason," May said casually. "So long as I remember who my number one girl is. Besides, Yellow needed a teacher and was eager to learn, and you two obviously weren't going to help her. So why shouldn't I try a little golden honey?" She looked him up and down. "She is quite the charmer though. Did she just steal your first kiss and make it off like it was an accident?"

Ash coughed. "Well, um, that…actually wasn't my first."

"Oh _really?"_

"Yeah, um, well, Misty actually kissed me earlier today." Ash felt his cheeks flush at the memory. Getting shocked unconscious and nearly drowning had been kind of awful, sure, but _man_ had everything leading up to it been something else!

"She did?" May grinned. "Oh, good for her! Must've been real nice, huh?"

Ash could still taste Misty's tongue. "Yeah."

Then May's eyes widened. "Hey, wait! Is that the reason why you were naked?"

"…kind of."

"Oh, ho, ho, ho!" May clasped her hands together in delight. "You guys did it, didn't you? You sealed the deal?"

Ash sighed. "Er, no."

" _What?!"_

"Well, we were about to, but that's when she shocked me by accident!" Ash said, feeling just a little defensive. "Then when we tried again, that's when the Tangela showed up."

May shook her head and clicked her tongue. "Good grief. Ash, I cannot decide if you're the most lucky unlucky guy I know, or the unluckiest lucky guy."

"Yeah," Ash sighed. "I know what you mean."

Then May shrugged. "Well, at least you got to second base. And hey, since no one has first dibs on _this_ part anymore…"

Before Ash knew what was happening, May stepped forward and seized Ash's cheeks in her hands, pulling him into a deep kiss.

Just like he had with Misty, Ash froze in shock. But this time at least he was able to shake off the paralysis and remind himself to respond. He forced his body to relax, untightening his muscles and responding the best he could. He gingerly put his hands on May's waist, and when she didn't shake him off, slid them around to her back.

Misty had been a really good kisser (or so Ash assumed; he didn't exactly have much to judge her by), but May was on a while other level: forceful, but not intimidating; hungry, but also tender. And so very warm, like hot chocolate on a cold winter's night. And all Ash could do was hang on the best he could and try not to melt entirely.

In this, he was less than successful.

Finally she parted, a look of satisfaction on her face as she licked her lips. "So, congratulations," she said. "You're the first boy I've kissed, while I was your third girl. How was it?"

Ash would have responded coherently, but the truth was his brain was so muddled in a happy haze that all he could do was make noise. "Hoooooooo," Ash breathed out. Oh, he was warm.

"Thought so." May released his face, and Ash took a couple of stumbling steps to keep from losing his balance. "Still the queen."

Then she whispered, "Uh-oh."

Ash blinked his eyes several times. He shook his head, trying to clear away the pleasurable fog so he could see what May had been worried by.

A moment later Ash saw it. Misty was walking up to the two of them, and she did not seem to be in a good place. She was clutching one arm with the other, her head bowed and eyes downcast, a far cry from the firecracker Ash had been getting to know.

Ash and May both stood at attention as Misty approached them. "Ash," she said without raising her head. "I have something to say."

Ash's stomach clenched up. Oh, this couldn't be good. "Okay," he said, bracing himself. "G-Go ahead."

"I'm from Cerulean City."

At this, Ash blinked. Uh, okay? That was an odd bit of information to just announce, especially after that buildup. Ash had gathered that she was native to Kanto like he was, and Cerulean City was as good a place to be from as any. So why make a big deal about it?

"And Cerulean City is where you'll be heading next after you're doing in Pewter, right?"

"I g-guess so. I mean, it's the only place to go afterward."

Misty tilted her chin in a small nod. "Okay. And on the way there, I'll teach you everything that I can. I'll help you prepare for your battle with the Pewter City Gym Leader, I'll lead you through Mt. Moon, and I'll make sure you know everything you need to know for the rest of your journey."

Ash's hackles raised. Oh, no. She couldn't be saying what it sounded like she was saying. "Misty, I-"

"And when we get home, when _I_ get home, I would like for you to release me," Misty said in a flat tone.

May clapped her hands over her mouth. "Misty, no!"

"Yes," Misty said.

"But…But that wasn't how this was supposed to go! We were going to go on an adventure together, the three of us! You and I were going to be the best PokeGirls in the world! You _promised_ us! You promised Ash, and you promised me!"

"I…" Misty's voice wavered, and she closed her eyes for a few seconds before continuing. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, but everything about this is _wrong."_

"Wrong?" Ash felt like he had been punched in the gut. "What do you mean, wrong?"

"I mean everything! Me getting caught! I'm not supposed to be caught, I'm not supposed to be a PokeGirl!"

"Ash saved your life!" May cried.

Misty didn't seem to have heard her. "I mean, I have a job! I have responsibilities! I can't…go traipsing off on someone else's journey!"

Ash's brow furrowed. "Misty, what are you saying?"

"I…" Misty sighed, and then rummaged around in her back pocket. She pulled out what looked like a small, thin, blue notebook and opened it up.

The notebook had two pages. On one was a trainer ID badge, one with Misty's face and proof of certification, but it was unlike any ID badge Ash had ever seen, one that was much more official and impressive looking, superimposed with the image of a drop of water.

And pinned to the other page was a gym badge of the same design: a single drop of blue water.

Ash's jaw dropped open.

"My full name is Misty Waterflower," Misty said. "And I am a Gym Leader. I'm the Cerulean City Gym Leader, and I was on a trip to catch more Pokemon for the gym when you found me."

"You…You're a…" Ash's legs started to tremble, and he stumbled back half-a-step. "Oh, Giranta's blackest nightmare, you're a _Gym Leader?"_

Misty solemnly nodded. "Yes. I am Kanto's water-type Gym Leader, as certified by Indigo League." She closed up her badge case and slipped it back into her pocket.

"But…How…What… _Why didn't you tell me?"_

Misty let out a long, slow breath. "Ash. Being a Gym Leader…well, it isn't fun. I thought it would be, but it isn't, especially for me. Nobody respects you, nobody appreciates the hard work you do, all the trainers that come to challenge you make fun of you for being a kid, and when you win, they throw a tantrum and accuse you of cheating, and when they win, they make fun of you some more! And you're lucky if they just leave without any sexual harassment! Plus your sisters never respect you either, even though it's literally your gym that they're living in, and you're letting them use the pool for their stupid water show out of the goodness of your heart, and they still keep acting like you're the runt of the family and disrespecting you and having sex in your office, on top of your desk! And that's not even getting into the constant attempts by Team Rocket to try to scare you into giving up your gym to them! It's every day with this! Nobody ever treats me like I deserve this job. They just try to push me around, when they're not trying to get something from me."

Ash just kept on staring. "Okay, but _why didn't you tell me?"_

"Because I didn't want to be that anymore, _okay?"_ Misty snapped, the sudden rancor in her voice taking Ash back. "If you knew I was a Gym Leader, then that's all I would be to you! I just wanted to be Misty and not worry about any of that!"

"But…But I wouldn't…"

"You would! Everyone does!"

"I don't," May said in a small voice.

"You…You're different." Misty shook her head. "But I figured, well, sure it's bad that I got caught, but hey, at least I can finally get away from all those headaches! And at least I'll be a water-type and have a closer connection to my water Pokemon. I run the Water Gym for a reason, Ash. I love the water! It's my element! I could swim before I could walk, and I've always felt at home in the water." Tears were now budding up in Misty's eyes. "But I didn't even get that! I ended up as the exact opposite of a water-type, all because of a stupid lightning bolt! And when I was being carried away by that Tangela and none of my attacks were doing anything, I realized just how much I hated this, hated being an electric-type."

"Y-Yeah, but a w-water-type wouldn't have d-d-done much better!" Ash stammered.

Misty glowered at him. "You don't know that."

Given the ferocity of Misty's glare, Ash judged it to be in his best interests to drop the subject.

"But we can work past that!" May cried. She sounded like she was on the verge of tears herself. "I'm sure that once you get used to it-"

"Staryu and Starmie rejected me," Misty said.

May jerked back like she had been slapped.

"They couldn't even look at me! My signature Pokemon, my oldest friends, and they just turned their backs on me, all because I got turned into something they hate, something _I_ taught them to hate." She then focused solely on Ash, who was now standing silently as she unloaded on him. "Ash, I'm sorry, I know I promised what I promised, but I can't do this. So please, when we get to Cerulean, I need you to release me."

Ash didn't know what to say. Sure, he had been the one to offer to release her right off the bat, but that had been before he had gotten to know her, before he had become friends with her. He didn't want to lose her!

But how could he say no? If what she had become was causing her own Pokemon to reject her, how could he possibly force her to stay with him? Sure, he technically _could,_ but that would just be cruel, and she would only hate him for it.

And he'd rather lose her than have her hate him.

"Okay," he said softly. "C-Cerulean then."

Misty slowly nodded. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away.

Ash and May watched her leave. Then, when she was gone, May abruptly got up and ran off after her.

Ash let her go. He knew how she felt. Heck, he probably felt worse. At least May would still be with Misty. Ash was going to be left alone. And sure, maybe that had been the original plan, but that had been before he had made friends, friends that he had been looking forward to traveling with, to getting to know better, to having on the whole of his adventure.

There was a saying that Ash had heard before in a movie, one that he hadn't thought much of but now couldn't get out of his head.

 _It is better to love and lost that love,_ it had went, _than to never have loved at all._

To which Ash now found himself replying, _Try it sometimes. See how it feels._

…

"Misty! Hey, wait up!"

Misty sighed but she didn't stop walking. Though she had expected this to happen, this wasn't a conversation she was interested in having.

"Dang it, Misty! Stop walking away and talk to me!"

Misty stopped, but she didn't turn around. "What is there to say, May?" she called over her shoulder. "I already gave my reasons, you heard them, so that's final!"

May caught up to her and ran around her so that they were face-to-face. Her eyes, normally bright with joy and mischief, were now flashing with fury. "No, it not!" she snapped. "Don't forget, you're my trainer, just like Ash is yours! So, where you go, I go, so I get a say in this too!"

Misty looked away.

"Oh, no you don't." May said, moving her face in sync with Misty's. "You don't get to shut me out."

Rolling her eyes, Misty looked back to her. "What do you want me to say?" Misty said to her. "I know I promised Ash that I'd go with him, but I can't do this!"

"Can't do what?" May demanded.

"This!" Misty threw her hands into the air. "This PokeGirl thing! It's making me absolutely miserable! My Pokemon won't talk to me, I couldn't fight the Tangela, I'm just mind-numbingly _horny_ all the time, and I can't even _be_ with anybody without hurting them! Ash'll be lucky if he doesn't get a skin infection!"

"So you had a bad day!" May countered. "It takes some getting used to, I know! Remember my dad's garage? Remember how we couldn't even kiss for a few days without putting blisters on your lips? But I can show you how to control all of that, and once you get the hang of it, you don't even think about it anymore!"

Groaning, Misty buried her face in her palm. "You're not getting it!"

"Then explain it to me! Please, I'll listen!"

"It's…It's about control, okay? I haven't had any of it, not for a long time! I didn't get to choose whether to be caught or not, I didn't get to choose what type I wanted, I didn't choose to have my stinking libido shoot through the ceiling, I can't even burn some of that off by having sex with… _anyone_ without hurting them, and the one time that having Pokemon powers would've come in handy, they're useless!" Her lip curled in disgust. "Plus, that… _thing_ only went after me because I'm a PokeGirl, and now Ash is just going to…keep it around? Make it part of his team? No! I'm not going to be around that monster. And I'm tired of everything going wrong, so I'm taking back control of my life!"

May scowled. "By going back to the place that made you miserable? Back to getting pushed around by your stupid family, bullied by every trainer that walks into your gym, back to getting threatened by Team Rocket? Where's the control in that?"

"Well, at least it was mine!"

"Then why were you thinking of quitting, huh? Remember when you told me that you weren't sure that you even wanted to be a Gym Leader anymore, that it wasn't fun and you wanted to leave?"

Misty had said that, and had recently told Ash that same thing. "Yeah, and when I tried to take an out, look what happened!" She sighed and tried to calm herself down. It wasn't easy though. It seemed that on top of getting aroused twice as easily, PokeGirls also felt emotions more strongly as well. "Look, I kn-know you had this daydream of the three of us going on this grand adventure together, filled with laughs and thrills and threesomes, and I did too for a bit! And I'm sorry for taking that away, but I'm serious here. I can't do this, and that's final!"

May looked like she was going to cry. Steam was rising from her eyes where her tears were evaporating. "You promised both of us, Ash and me! Ash practically killed himself to save us, and you're just going to leave him?"

Misty slowly breathed out. "Look, if you want to sleep with him, go for it."

" _WHAT?!"_

"The only reason you haven't is because you think I should have first dibs, right? Well, I'm relinquishing that claim! He's all yours!"

May inhaled sharply through her nose. Her right eyelid was twitching. "Misty…"

"In fact…you know what? _You_ should go with him! I mean, what were you going to do when we got back? Just hide under my bed? Sit around watching TV while I'm at work? You'll drive yourself crazy in a week! So…you should definitely go with him."

A distinct trembling had started to developed around May's fingers, and the air around her was growing hazy with heat. _"Misty…"_

"I'm serious!" Misty could feel her voice choking up with emotion. "I'm not trying to be mean here, okay? I'm not trying to get rid of your or him, but if you think about it, that's the best path for everyone-"

"Oh, quit that!" May snapped. "I'm not going to let you make that kind of decision when you're like this!"

Misty's eyes narrowed. "Like _what,_ May? Like _what?"_

"This! All…angry and bitter! I'm not going to let you do something that you'll probably regret later, I'm _not_ abandoning you to be miserable, and no, I'm _not_ touching Ash like that, because you and me both know that it'll hurt you once you've calmed down. Besides, he's our _friend,_ not someone to be just passed around!"

"Oh yeah? Well, if you respect him so much, why do you keep teasing him?"

"Because I already asked him if he wants me to stop, and he said no! But I'm not going to sleep with him to prove some kind of point! He deserves better than that, and so do you!"

"Well…fine then! You come up with a better idea!"

May sighed, releasing a fair bit of smoke when she did so. "Okay, here's one: if you don't like being a PokeGirl and want to be released, then that's fine! It's not for everyone, and you shouldn't be forced to stay like this."

"Well, glad you agree then!"

"But after Ash releases you and you got back to normal, go with him anyway!"

Misty blinked. "Huh?"

"Keep your promise. Stay with Ash and help him train, just not as his PokeGirl. Trainers travel together all the time, don't they? So why not do that?"

Misty…had not thought of that. Still…

"And just abandon my gym?" she said. "Just hand it off to Team Rocket and bail?"

"You were all set to do that anyway, weren't you? Or would you rather they take it anyway and you wind up on the Black Market? Because you know they'll get it sooner or later."

That…hurt to hear, but Misty had to admit that May had a point. It was something that she had thought about often, though she hated to admit it. "Okay, but what about my sisters? Sure, they're annoying-"

"And selfish."

"Sure, but-"

"And unappreciative."

"Okay, but even so-"

"And mean. And petty. And stuck-up."

Misty folded her arms. "All right, but they're…" Her voice trailed off when she remembered that the "But they're family" was exactly the wrong sort of argument to make to May.

Sure enough, May rolled her eyes. "Okay, and you know what? They're _grown-ups!_ You're _ten!_ They're not your responsibility! If they have to rely on the kid sister just to keep the lights on and never show her any kind of appreciation, then screw 'em! Worry about your own life, girl! Stop making yourself miserable for them! They can learn to get real jobs."

Misty frowned, but said nothing.

"Look, just…don't decide. Not yet," May said. "But promise me that you'll _think_ about it, okay? Don't rush a decision just because you're upset. Take some time and really think about what _you_ want to do." She reached over to poke Misty in the heart.

Misty sighed. "All right. I'll…think about it."

"I knew you would."

Scowling, Misty said, "It's weird when you start being them mature one."

"Hey, I'm two years older than both you and Ash. Of course I am!"

"Yeah. No, you're not."

"Well, I can be when I need to be." Then May leaned in and seized Misty in a tight embrace. "Love yah, Red."

Sighing, Misty returned the hug. "Yeah. I love you too."

"Of _course_ you do, dummy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Ah, sweet, sweet angst. Fanfiction's ambrosia.
> 
> Anyway, I gotta clear a few points up. Firstly, there's been a few people pointing out some similarities between this story and a popular, long-running Pokemon fic called Traveler, which is also a rewrite of the anime and has Ash starting off with a male Nidoran, and he catches a Tangela at some point. So just so we're clear, this story is not in any way, shape, or form a rip-off, inspired by, or even influenced by Traveler. I have never read or even heard of Traveler until other people brought it up, and any similarities are purely coincidental. I chose Nidoran because it's a Gen 1 with a three-stage evolutionary line that isn't a grass, fire, water, or electric type. And I went with Tangela because I feel that it's kind of underrated, and I can only imagine that the author of Traveler was thinking down the same lines.
> 
> Also, after some thought and discussion, I decided to go back and retcon the whole thing from the last chapter about Pokemon and PokeGirl power being non-lethal. I was trying to explain why Misty would nearly be killed by getting electrified while Ash would be relatively okay, but in hindsight, that explanation is dumb and would just cause endless problems. So the new explanation is that Misty's accidental discharge just didn't pack that much voltage.
> 
> Anyway, that's enough camping. Next chapter (which should come out much quicker) will kickstart Pewter City.
> 
> But of course you don't care about that, seeing how things here ended on a bitter note. So…how about a bonus, post-comments scene?
> 
> …
> 
> Things back at camp were awkward. None of the humans were talking to each other. So, to get some space from all that uncomfortableness, Nidoran and Chuey had elected to go off and investigate the Tangela's lair. After all, it had been crazy, sure, but there had been a definite method to its madness. And maybe a Pokemon would catch something that a human might miss.
> 
> Unfortunately, while their investigations turned up plenty of weirdness, exactly none of it made any sense to them.
> 
> Chuey poked at the rusting remains of a washing machine, its internal guts pulled out and replaced with the plastic dome of a water cooler and a lot of pipe cleaners for some reason. "Pika," it said. "Pikachu! Chu, Pika-Pikachu!"
> 
> (translation: "I don't get it. What's all this for? What was it even trying to do?")
> 
> Nidoran nudged its horn again a row of cracked and bent grocery store produce scales. "Nidori. Nidoran!"
> 
> (translation: "Beats me. I always thought humans were the weirdoes, but this is a whole new level of weird.")
> 
> Grunting, Chuey pushed aside a line of rusty tin cans, their labels yanked off, with holes punched in their sides and threaded with Christmas lights. "Chu. Pikachu, Pika! Pika…"
> 
> (translation: "Oh, you know humans are to blame for this somehow! Yellow's the only tolerable human I've ever met, and even she's ten degrees of weird. The whole species is…")
> 
> Noticing that Chuey's voice had trailed off, Nidoran turned. "Nidoran?"
> 
> (translation: "Hey, what's up?")
> 
> Chuey was staring at the wall behind the tin cans. "Pikachu," it said, pointing. "Chu-chu, Pika!"
> 
> (translation: "Look at this! More weird writing.")
> 
> Nidoran bounded over and looked. Sure enough, more strange carvings were in the wall, similar to the big mural in the center.
> 
> Tilting its head to one side, Chuey scratched its ear. "Pi? Pikachu?"
> 
> (translation: "Can you make out any of this?")
> 
> Nidoran frowned. Then it shrugged. "Nidino. Doran."
> 
> (translation: "Beats me. You've lived with humans longer than I have. Can't you read it?"
> 
> "Chu."
> 
> (translation: "Nah. Never could figure it out."
> 
> Snuffling, Nidoran turned away. "Nido. Nidoran."
> 
> (translation: "Ah well. Let's go back to camp. Hopefully they've stopped fighting and have some food out.")
> 
> Chuey studied the carvings a little longer. Then with a shrug of its own, it turned and followed.
> 
> To be fair, even a human would have a hard time discerning exactly what the Tangela had carved onto the wall. After all, it barely comprehended human writing either and was merely transcribing from memory. However, there were two symbols in particular that were at least legible.
> 
> One was clearly a logo of some kind, done in the shape of a stylized R.
> 
> And the other merely read, "M2."


	11. (B)rock and Roll, Part 1!

All his life, Ash had heard stories of the dark and mysterious Viridian Forest. He had heard of the strange mysteries that supposedly lay within, of the dangerous bug Pokemon that dwelt there, and how it was said that some who ventured there never came out again, their fates forever unknown.

Naturally, it sounded like the perfect place for a young, adventurous Pokemon trainer to explore! Undiscovered mysteries to be uncovered? Yes, please! Dangerous Pokemon to catch? Absolutely? Danger lurking in every shadow? That was what made it fun!

However, after having actually spent some time in the notorious forest, once he finally came out the other side, Ash was glad to have it at his back, as did everyone else. Well, almost everybody.

"Oh, thank goodness," May groaned when they finally passed the last of the trees and found the road ahead cutting through an open field. "I thought we'd never get out of there!"

"Hot bath," Misty mumbled, her eyes bleak and hollow. "Need hot bath. And nap. Sleep long time. In bed. Real bed."

"I never want to see another leaf as long as I live," Ash said, his shoulders slumped.

"Oh, I would like to see her," Yellow said, as inexplicably cheery as ever. "And I don't know what you guys are on about. I can't _wait_ to go back in there!"

The other three turned their heads to stare at her. Then, in unison, they all sighed and started plodding forward.

Once they had started actually moving through the forest, it had still taken them two whole days to actually make it through. Two dark, uncomfortable, and unbearably awkward days, in which Ash and Misty barely spoke to each other at all.

At least at first. But by evening on the first day, the ice had been broken as they found common ground to talk about: how much they no longer wanted to be in the Viridian Forest.

Not that Ash had forgotten. Though Cerulean City was still a far way off, it was where he was to part ways with Misty and May.

And that galled him, because he just plain didn't want to give either one of them up. And it wasn't for any sexual reason either (well, maybe that played a small part in it). He just liked being around them. Sure, May might be the most perverted, aggressive, and oddest kid he had ever met (Yellow being the only possible exception when it came to strangeness), but she was also fun, supportive, compassionate, and easy-going. And Misty might be temperamental, oftentimes moody, and a big tease, but she was also cool, cheerful, energetic, and encouraging. Honestly, given how his old friend group had fallen apart, they honestly were the closest friends he had now, despite their short time together. He had been looking forward to their journey together.

But now he was going to lose them.

And it was kind of his fault.

Ash sighed and shook his head. It wouldn't do to brood on that any more than he already had. Cerulean City was still several weeks away. Best enjoy the time they had left.

"You know, when we get into town," May remarked as they headed up the road. "You two _probably_ should check yourselves into the hospital."

"Hospital?" Yellow said. "What for?"

"C'mon. You both got bad electrical burns and were knocked around by a berserking shrub, followed by two days hiking through a grimy, disgusting forest. I'm honestly shocked that neither of you got infected."

From its perch on Yellow's shoulder, Chuey noticeably winced.

Frowning, Ash looked down at his arm. "It doesn't look _that_ bad," he said. Sure, it was still a shade or two darker than it ought to be, and his skin now had a tendency to, well, flake, but it was at least better than it had been. May had insisted that he and Yellow strip down every rest stop so she could slather them both with anti-burn lotion, a task she seemed to relish quite a bit.

It had been weird and awkward at first, but after a while it stopped bothering Ash. After all, they had all seen each other naked. Why raise a fuss?

"Sure, and that's because of the expert medical care of yours truly! But better safe than sorry."

Misty sighed. "Well, as for me, I can't wait until we check into a hotel."

"Love hotel?" May asked.

"No."

May stuck out her tongue. "Booooo. You're no fun."

"Why would you need to pay extra for a love hotel?" Yellow wondered out loud. "There's nothing you can do there that you can't do in a regular hotel."

"Ambience, my young pupil! It's all about the ambience!"

"And the toys," Misty added.

May nodded. "And the toys."

Up ahead the ground abruptly cut off, and to everyone's immense relief a city stretched out before them.

"There it is!" Finding a renewed strength, Ash bolted ahead and leapt onto a rock. Shielding his eyes with his hand, he surveyed the city that sprawled out before him. It was certainly larger than Pallet Town. Also, like Viridian City, it had a proper gym, and with any luck, the Gym Leader wouldn't be absent.

"It's been a while since I've been through here," Misty remarked as the girls caught up to him.

"I've never been here at all!" Yellow said. "Is there anything cool to do?"

"Sure! There's the museum, for one. They have this great collection of extinct Pokemon fossils!"

"Sure, if you're into rocks and stuff," May said dismissively. "There's also the PokeGirl Market!"

At this, Yellow lit up. "There's a PokeGirl Market?" she said excitedly.

Misty quirked an eyebrow. "You know they'd never let you in."

"Wasn't planning on asking," May said.

"May, don't get us in trouble."

"You're only in trouble if you get caught!"

"And you _always_ get caught!"

As they bickered, Ash sat down cross-legged on the rock and took a deep breath of the fresh, open air. He had started to think that they were going to be caught in that forest for the rest of their lives.

Then a low, raspy voice said, "Pewter City is grey, the color of stone."

"Huh?"

Everyone looked down. There, seated at the bottom of the rock wall, was an old man with a thick beard and a red hat. He was sitting next to several wooden shelves containing several stones of different sizes.

He continued. "This town has always been famous for-"

"Okay, Grandpa! I think we've heard enough from you!" Misty immediately yanked Ash to his feet and started pushing everyone away from the old man.

"Hey!" he angrily called after them. "Show some respect! First you sit on my merchandise, and then you…"

"What's was that all about?" Ash said in confusion once they had gone far enough.

Misty sighed. "First rule of coming to a new town: never engage with the tourist trap people. They'll wring you dry."

They headed along the ridge until they found a path down. From there, they took it all the way down until they were no longer trekking along dirt roads and were instead walking across pavement.

Sweet, beautiful pavement. The building block of civilization.

"Oh, thank goodness," Ash sighed as he collapsed into a nearby bench. The others gratefully joined him, with May wresting off her shoes and gently massaging her aching toes.

There was a nearby kiosk that distributed town maps. Misty grabbed one and opened it. "Hmmm," she said. "Well, the gym's open late, but I wouldn't recommend hitting it up first thing."

"Yeah, definitely not," May sighed. "It'll still be there tomorrow."

"Fortunately, the Trainers' Hotel isn't far from here, and neither is the PokeCenter." She glanced over to Ash and Yellow. "But you two probably should hit up the hospital first."

"Ah, I'm fine," Ash said, casually waving off the suggestion. "It's not like-"

As he moved his arm, a large peel of dead skin unraveled off his arm and wafted away on the breeze.

"Ew," Yellow remarked as she idly scratched Chuey behind its ears.

Making a face, Ash withdrew his arm. "Okay, fine," he said. "We should probably get checked out.

"Of course you do," Misty said. "In the meantime, I'll head to the PokeCenter. I really need to see if I have any messages and check in with my gym."

"Go tell your sisters to jump in a lake for me," May remarked.

"That's…kind of already what they do anyway, so I don't see how that'll be at all cutting."

"Oh, uh, right," Ash said. "Them. Er, what happens if they find out that you're, uh, kind of a PokeGirl now?"

"Nothing! Because they're not going to find out. Now, smile!"

"Huh?" Ash's face twisted up in confusion. "What for-"

Then there was a bright flash of light.

"Hey!" Ash shook his head and blinked several times to vanish the spots. "What was that for?"

Lowering the camera she was holding, Misty winked mischievously. "You'll see! Meet me at the PokeCenter when you're all done!" With that, she turned and skipped off.

Ash grumpily rubbed his face. "Seriously, what was that about?" he said. "What did she need my picture for?"

"Oh, dunno," May said. "Stick in her locker? Post it to her mirror?"

"We're not in school!"

"Maybe she wanted it as a masturbatory aid," Yellow suggested. "I mean, she does obviously find you attractive."

All the color drained from Ash's face, and he momentarily forgot how to move. Or think.

May coughed loudly. "Yellow, you _sure_ you don't want to come with us? Because giving you up at this point physically pains me."

"Hospital!" Ash squeaked, getting behind the two girls and shoving them into motion. "Hospital, yes, now!"

…

Unfortunately, the hospital did not make things less awkward.

Ash sat in the doctor's office, stripped down to his boxers, fidgeting awkwardly as the doctor examined his burned and flayed skin.

"Hmmm," the doctor intoned, her fingers touching and prodding in a manner that wasn't exactly _comfortable,_ but also his body really wasn't objecting to. "Well, burns of this kind are fairly common, especially with young trainers. But these marks, well, these pose a problem."

The doctor was a devastatingly attractive woman in her late twenties, though she did little to accentuate her looks. She had dark brown hair tied back in a simple ponytail and bright brown eyes that stared intensely at Ash from behind a pair of horned glasses. She wore little makeup, only the faintest touch of lipstick, and her figure was hidden behind the professional doctor's outfit she wore.

And yet for some reason, she just _radiated_ sensuality. Something about her sharp, crisp way of moving, or the commanding tone in her husky voice, or the way her eyes seemed to pierce right into him, or the way her long, slender fingers methodically played over his bare skin was really turning him on in a way he had not expected and that he really wished would just go away and stop making things tense.

"Uh, y-yeah," Ash stammered. Boy, his mouth was dry. "R-Ran into a c-crazy Tangela right after I, uh…"

_Misty clinging to him, pressing her wet and naked body to his, enveloping his mouth with her own, her tongue shoving its way through his teeth…_

"…I got burned," Ash finished lamely. "Accident with one of my friends' electric Pokemon."

"Well, that tracks. It's a dangerous and unpredictable world out there. You never know what kind of ferocious beast is just waiting to snatch you up." Her hands continued to explore Ash's flesh, pressing in deeper than he felt was truly necessary. "Now, it looks like you've been at least taking care of yourself since then. Putting on that burn lotion regularly, right?"

"Right," Ash said, and only that. If he allowed himself to talk further, he might accidentally let slip some of the other thoughts he was having, such as, _Please step on me._

"That's good. It seems to have prevented an infection, at least. Still, no need to take chances. Now, drop your boxers."

Ash's back stiffened. "Huh?"

The doctor went walked past him to a cabinet at the other end of the room. Ash's eyes followed her shapely, stockinged legs as they cleared the distance with quick, precise steps, her hard shoes clacking a rhythm as she walked. His gaze then traveled up to the black skirt she was wearing. It wasn't particularly tight, but he could see the swaying of her curvaceous rear with every step.

Then she opened the cabinet, withdrew a bottle, and turned around. Ash gulped and averted her eyes.

"I'm going to prescribe you something a little stronger," she said, popping the bottle open and squirting lotion into her palm, and just the sound of it sent excitement trilling through Ash's body. "Just keep up with the regular full-body applications three times a day, and you should be fine in less than a week."

It took every ounce of willpower to keep from saying, _Yes, Mistress._ Instead, Ash merely gulped and nodded.

"But we'd better start things off immediately, so I'm going to need you to drop your underwear." A slight smile of amusement curved her lips. "Don't worry, it's nothing I don't see regularly."

"Okay…"

Ash reluctantly shimmied out of his boxers and kicked them off. Then he nervously twiddled his thumbs in his lap as the doctor walked back around him.

Moments later her cool, slick hands descended upon his shoulder.

 _This is only because of all those times May lotioned you and Yellow up in the forest,_ he told himself as the doctor lathered the lotion into his back and shoulders. After all, since the two of them had to sit naked while she worked, she had insisted on stripping down as well, which had made those sessions a lot more…intense than they would have otherwise been. _That's all it is. It's reminding your body of_ that. _May gave you a complex, because of course she did. So just stay calm and…_

Then the doctor's hands paused, and Ash heard a small chuckle.

Blinking, he looked down and saw, to his horror, his penis sticking up straight and hard. Just…out there for her to see.

"Ah! I'm sorry!" he cried as he hastily tried to cover it.

" _Relax!_ It's fine," the doctor murmured. Was it just his imagination, or was her mouth _really_ close to his ear. He was fairly certain that he could feel her warm breath tickling the hairs on his neck. "It happens all the time. Perfectly natural. Go ahead and drop your arms."

"Yeah, but…" Wincing, Ash did as he was bid.

"There you go." The doctor resumed kneading the lotion into Ash's abused skin, the coolness of the lotion and the firmness of her fingers beating back the sensation of burning. "Besides, we would've had to lotion that area up too, wouldn't we?"

Oh, why did she have to point that out? Why did she have to point that out?

…

In another room just down the hall from Ash, Yellow's treatment was just as awkward, but in the opposite direction.

"Er…Dave?"

"Hey, Shelley. What's up?"

"I'm treating one of those two kids. You know, the ones with the burns and lacerations?"

"Who, the boy or the girl?"

"The girl."

"Okay, so, what's the problem?"

"The problem is that she's enjoying it way too much. It's getting weird."

"Wait, enjoying what?"

"The lotion!"

"Okay. And enjoying…how?"

"She won't stop…moaning."

"…uh. Like, in pain?"

"No."

"Oh."

"So, do I…continue, or…"

"Just…don't do anything that'll get us sued."

"I'm taking my break when I'm done."

"Fine."

…

Nobody noticed Misty as she entered the PokeCenter. Nobody recognized her.

Misty sighed. Well, it was to be expected. When she had taken over the Cerulean Gym, the fact that someone so young had become an official Gym Leader had been highly publicized. She had done interviews, Q&A's, phone-in radio appearances, the whole nine yards.

But not photo-ops. No televised appearances, no meet-and-greets. While the League hadn't forbidden her from showing her face to the media, they had made a point to advise strongly against it. Someone of her age ought to keep a low profile while out in public, both for her safety and for her peace of mind. And though it had galled her at the time, given that it meant that denied her the recognition that she felt that she deserved as well as cut into her ability to attract sponsors, she had come to see the wisdom in their suggestion. Being a Gym Leader was exhausting work, and if she couldn't even go out to the store without getting mobbed, then she was likely to lose her mind. As such, all interviews had been in print or phone-in only, and cameras were not allowed inside the gym. Only those who saw her in person knew what she looked like, which, okay, was a lot of people, but trainers didn't tend to linger after claiming her badge, and locals were considerate enough to leave her in peace.

But even so, it would be nice to show up in a strange place and have _someone_ know who she was and appreciate her for it. Controversy aside, she _was_ still a Gym Leader, and that was supposed to mean something!

Sighing, Misty walked inside. Oh well. If ever there was a time that getting recognized would be a problem, than this would be it.

Almost as soon as she did, she came to an abrupt stop.

As soon as she had taken a breath of the air inside, it was like someone had poured warm syrup down her throat, letting it trickle all the way down to her groin. Her cheeks flushed, her heart started to patter, and she felt her gut squeeze.

Ever since she had really used her new power for the first time, she had found her body's needs harder and harder to ignore. It seemed like everything turned her on now, from the simple friction of the soft material of her panties against her vagina while walking to seeing the lean muscles in May's bare arms and legs ripple as she walked or the way Ash wearily peeled off his jacket whenever they took a break. Even Yellow, whom she still found to be a little annoying, was looking a lot tastier than she had when they had first met and Misty had mistaken her for a little boy.

And then there had been all the times May had to rub that anti-burn lotion onto Ash and Yellow's backs. Misty had stuck around for the first time. After all, what was the big deal? She had already seen all three of them naked, so it should be fine, right?

Wrong.

As soon as the three of them began to undress, her stomach had started to clench. When Ash's boxers and Yellow's panties came down, she felt her skin flush an her breathing start to stutter. And when May began to unzip her shirt, her hips had begun to twitch, as the first trickle of arousal started to dribble out of her. And when May had started to knead the lotion into Ash's shoulders, Misty had abruptly got up and walked off to find someplace private. Ever since then, when her two toasted traveling companions needed their remedy, Misty would make a hasty exit and fingerfuck herself so she could at least function.

Still, she had either ignored or taken care of those urges the best she could and soldiered on. Sooner or later they would be back in civilization and she would have too much to distract her to bother thinking about sex.

But it was only now that she was realizing what a foolish presumption that had been.

Most of the people in the PokeCenter were trainers, but there were also a number of PokeGirls around, and that meant there was a glorious buffet of female flesh on display, everywhere she looked.

Why, right in front of her was a tall, voluptuous woman with short, raven-black hair and piercing green eyes. She was dressed in the gothic Lolita fashion, with a frilly, black skirt that spread wide around her and yet only just cleared her hips, and it swayed back and forth with every movement she made, giving glimpses of the curve of her ass cheeks or a peek at her pussy. A pair of lacy black stockings came up to mid-thigh, and a black-and-white corset donned with black bows was tied tightly around her waist, one that ended just below her exposed breasts. A tiny black top hat sat at a jaunty angle, and a black umbrella, just as frilly as the rest of her outfit, was folded up and tucked under her arm.

Speaking amicably with her was cheery looking young brunette who wore her hair up in a pair of childish buns. Her gimmick seemed to be casual sleepwear, as she only had on a long shirt hung so loosely around her slender shoulders that one small breast was exposed and did not reach far enough past her nubile thighs, as well as a pair of bunny slippers. She even had a long pillow held behind her back, completing the look.

And there was more, oh so many more. Everywhere Misty looked there was a flash of some girl's tits or a swaying ass, and all of them were either openly, unashamedly naked or wearing some kind of fetishistic outfit that was the next best thing to naked.

What was more, she could now _smell_ them. It wasn't an actual identifiable odor, but the air seemed to get thicker and warmer with every breath. Misty's skin had flushed, a thin layer of sweat breaking out on her forehead. She felt herself start to get lightheaded, and had to violently shake her head to regain her wits.

Misty had seen PokeGirls all the time, and she had always enjoyed looking at them, but this… _this_ was new. She was now vividly, _achingly_ aware of them in a way she had never been before. Her tingling nipples were now standing stiff and sharp beneath her shirt, and she could feel the first few drops of arousal forming around her quivering vagina.

"'Scuse me, kid," a haggard-looking older woman mumbled as she sidestepped Misty to head for the Healing Machines, followed by a haughty-looking woman with curly dark hair and expensive furs draped over her otherwise nude body, led along by the older woman by a leash attached to a rhinestone-studded leather collar around her neck. Misty's eyes followed the sway of her glorious ass until they both walked around the corner, out of sight.

Misty shook her head again. Okay, she needed to focus. PokeGirls were horny pretty much all the time, so it stood to reason that being in the presence of several other PokeGirls only exasperated the problem. May had spoken of how just passing one in the streets was enough to get her wet sometimes. Something to do with pheromones, probably.

Steadying herself the best she could, Misty walked past those gathered in the PokeCenter's lobby to head for the PC's. Finding an unclaimed computer, Misty logged into her account and checked her inbox.

As expected, there was the usual clutter of messages, from routine updates from the League to her sisters' whining. The former she just scanned and moved on. League updates were usually just to inform ranking members of changes to policy, keep them in the loop to any ongoing issues, or to inform them of anything of importance, and since Indigo League Tournament was still a long way off, there was really nothing new to report.

Her sisters' messages were no less predictable, but far more irritating. Paragraph after paragraph of them whining and complaining about how hard things had been in her absence.

_Hey Misty! It's Daisy. How's your vacation going? Find anything cool? Anyway, I don't mean to be pushy, but is there any chance you can give us an ETA on when you're planning on being back? Hugs and kisses!_

Which sounded nice enough, but Misty could feel the passive-aggressiveness oozing off every pleasant word.

The next was much quicker to the point.

_Misty. You've been gone too long, and it's not fair to the rest of us to just expect us to handle things in your absence. We've had to run the gym at half-hours just to keep The Sensational Waterflowers going. I don't want to sound bossy, but I for one feel that it is incredibly selfish of you to just up and leave whenever you want. The Viridian City Gym Leader closes his gym periodically. Is it too much to ask that you do the same?_

_Also, I am certain that you left us your worst Pokemon. They've only been able to win one battle since you left!_

_-Violet._

And…

_Misty, where r uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu? Come back already!_

_Love, Lily._

And so on. It seemed like they were taking turns begging her to come back in their own, unique ways.

Misty rolled her eyes. Well, what could one expect?

Then she noticed something odd. The whiny messages had been pouring in fairly constantly up until a few days ago, and then they suddenly…stopped.

Now, that was odd. And somewhat troubling.

Frowning, Misty tapped a finger to her lower lip in thought. Now, why would that be? There was no reason for that to be the case. If they were sending her complaints about her not being there, then it meant everything was normal. But if they suddenly stopped, then that might not be a good sign.

Misty breathed out. Then she prepared a message of her own.

 _Hey, guys!_ she wrote. _Just got to Pewter City and am on my way back! Really appreciate hearing that you guys have things well in hand! I'll be leaving town in a couple of days, so let me know if there's any questions you have before I go! Love yah!_

_XXOO – Misty!_

There. That should at least prompt a response.

That done, she then turned her attention to the final message in her inbox, the real reason for her visit.

 _Dear Misty,_ it read. _Here are the materials you've requested. All that is required is his signature. I've taken the liberty to reroute the destination for any excess to my facilities here in the lighthouse. Furthermore, I made some modifications to how catches are detected. Those of your nature should be excluded, provided they remain outside. Please contact me only in the event of an emergency, and then I expect you to use your discretion._

_-Bill_

Misty sighed in relief. Yes, this was what she needed. With this, Ash should be able to fully and legally go on his Pokemon journey without issue. Furthermore, that bit at the end was a nice touch. Bill was basically saying that Misty was not going to count toward Ash's total team, so long as she remained outside of her human ball.

Well, that ought not be a problem, seeing how Misty wasn't going to be a PokeGirl for much longer, nor was Ash likely to be catching any other girls in the future. Still, he might actually manage to catch four more Pokemon between now and Cerulean City, so better safe than sorry.

She printed out the attachment, which was an official Pokemon trainer contract, and looked it over. Okay, this ought to be it. Ash already had most of the gear he needed, so all that was left was to be fully certified, and then-

"Er, hello there, Miss Waterflower!"

Misty inhaled sharply through her nose. Oh, _great._

Turning in her seat, Misty found herself face-to-face with the unwanted visage of one Gary Oak.

"Gary," she said icily. "What do you want?"

For once Gary was alone, his entourage of cheerleaders nowhere to be seen. Furthermore, the look of entitled arrogance from their first meeting and the one of indignant resentment from their second were both absent. In contrast, Gary look…kind of sheepish, almost embarrassed. His head was bowed, and he was scratching the back of his head in what actually seemed to be a nervous manner.

"So…uh, I didn't expect to run into you!" he said with an awkward laugh. "Visiting friends? The local Gym Leader, maybe?"

"None of your business," Misty said curtly. "And I asked you what you wanted. Don't waste my time."

At this, Gary sighed and dropped his arm. "Look, I was just thinking that you and I got off on the wrong foot, and you probably got a bad impression of me. I'm not really a bad guy, and-"

Sighing, Misty held up her palm. "Save it, Gary," she said. "You and I both know that you're only apologizing because you found out that I can have your license rescinded if I kicked up enough fuss, and that I have more than enough reason to do so."

And there it was, that sullen, spiteful indignation. She only saw it for a second, just a quick narrowing of his eyes, but it was there.

And then his mask of remorse and chagrin returned. "Oh, come on. Can we just talk this out? Hey, let me buy you a soda or something."

Ignoring the offer, Misty turned back to the computer. "If I haven't turned you in already, I'm not planning to now. So long as you behave yourself, never try to break PokeGirl capture laws again, and _leave me the heck alone,_ then fine. I'll even let you challenge for my badge once we're both in Cerulean City. But annoy me again…"

Her back still to him, Misty made an abrupt slashing motion across her throat.

"Got it?"

Gary didn't answer for a moment, and Misty couldn't help but smile a little. She could practically _feel_ the resentment radiating off of him.

"Got it," he hissed at last, and then stomped off.

Once he was gone, Misty giggled softly to herself. Honestly, had she never met Ash, she probably would've had Gary kicked out the League the moment she got to a PokeCenter.

But she didn't, because she had met Ash, and she needed Gary to stay certified so Ash could do the honors of humiliating the jerk on live television.

Revenge, as they say, was a dish bet served cold. And with as much ironic justice as possible.

Then a girl walked past, platinum blonde hair arranged in elaborate curls, wearing nothing but a few strategically placed strips of silver electric tape.

Misty made a face and found herself rubbing her thighs together. She really hoped that the others would hurry up and arrive soon. Having a PokeGirl's increased libido was hard enough to handle while tramping through the forest, but now that they were back in civilization, with so much skin on display, it was likely to drive her batty.

…

Ash and Yellow checked out of the hospital, both of them freshly lathered up and tingling. Ash was blushing brightly and refusing to meet anyone's eyes while Yellow was humming happily.

"Hey, there you guys are," May said as she jogged up to them. "How'd it go?"

"Great!" Yellow said. "The doctor had me get naked, and then she rubbed lotion all over me!"

"Sounds like a good time then!"

"But she didn't take her clothes off though, like you did."

"That's a shame." May then glanced over to Ash. "What about you, champ? How was your appointment?"

Ash pulled his hat down over his face. "I don't want to talk about it," he muttered, which just made May cackle.

They consulted the map to find out exactly which direction the PokeCenter was and started walking.

As Misty had said, it wasn't far, only about a couple blocks. But as they rounded one street corner, Ash saw something that made him pause.

There was one very odd looking building in the middle of the block. It looked like a rock quarry, made of rough stones all piled together, like the sort of place a caveman might live. There was a brown double-door set in the front, a stone courtyard in the front, and some kind of bronze plaque set in a rock that had been set up right next to the sidewalk.

In the center of the courtyard was a stone statue, one that seemed to be deliberately rough and eschewing detail, but was still clearly that of a muscular young man, one standing with his shirt off and his arms crossed in front of his chest. Several stone representations of nude women were sprawled out around his feet, clinging to his legs.

"Whoa," Ash said, staring. "Is that the gym?"

"Sure looks like it," May said. "Three guesses as to what type that guy specializes in, and the first two don't count."

"Rock type?" Yellow said, not noticing the sarcasm in May's comment.

May grinned and lifted Yellow's hat to ruffle her hair. "Ding-ding! Gold star for you."

Ash frowned. While the identities of Gym Leaders and the types they specialized in were something one could just look up, it was considered something of a faux pas for beginning trainers to read up on them in advance. It was considered a point of honor to enter each town blind and take whatever challenge one faced with what they had already on hand.

So, his first test would be a rock-type Gym Leader? Well, Nidoran was a poison-type, which wouldn't do much to a rock-type's thick, stony hides. But it did know a few fighting-type attacks, which should give it an edge. And Tangela was a grass-type, which was perfect for this sort of thing!

That was, assuming it could even be used in battle, even after healing it up. Truthfully, Ash wasn't even sure it would listen to him. A rebellious Pokemon was one thing. One that was completely bugnuts was another.

"C'mon," Yellow said, running over to the building. "Let's check it out!"

There was already a few trainers gathered around the building, waiting for their turn to go in. Since Ash was nowhere near ready to take a swing himself, he ignored the line and instead walked up to the plaque and looked down the inscription.

"'The Pewter City Pokemon Gym,'" he read out loud. "'Gym Leader: Brock Harrison, The Rock-Solid Warrior.'"

"I _bet_ he's rock-solid," May said, her eyes roving over the carvings of women arrayed around the Gym Leader's likeness. She snickered.

Yellow tilted her head to one side. "Do Gym Leaders use PokeGirls?"

"Oh, sure, sure. My dad-" May paused, cleared her throat, and continued. "My dad, uh, says it depends on the region, but they definitely do here in Kanto."

"Including Misty?"

Ash winced, as did May. Glancing over to the trainers lined up to challenge for the badge, May pressed a finger to her lips and shushed.

"Oh, sorry," Yellow said with a wince of her own.

"S'kay. And no she doesn't." A wry smile tugged at May's mouth, and she lowered her voice. "With…one sexy exception, and that's kind of on the down-low."

Saving the line for later, the three of them went up to the rough-hewn windows and peeked in.

The inside of the gym was dark, but Ash got the impression that the battlefield was constructed to resemble a rocky field, one lit only by a few spotlights arrayed along the perimeter. There was someone standing right in front of the field, probably whoever was challenging for the badge at that moment. At the far end of the field was something he couldn't really make out. It looked like a tall hill, one with several fires burning upon it.

And in the battlefield itself there was a war being waged.

Two hulking forms were throwing themselves at each other, each roughly about the size of a man but _much_ broader. One had squat legs, a thick tail, and a bottom-heavy body. Ash frowned. He knew that shape. It was…it was…

Then it was hit hard and skidded back into one of the spotlights. Oh! A Kangaskhan! That must be the challenging trainer's Pokemon!

Ash's frown then deepened. A normal-type being used against a rock-type Gym Leader? He hoped that it knew a few fighting attacks.

The other form was circular, a heavy-looking ball that stood on two short legs with two short arms and a blunt head.

Ash swallowed. Even in the dark he had no trouble identifying the Pokemon that Gym Leader Brock was using.

"Is that a Golem?" Yellow wondered out.

"Yup," Ash said, his mouth now dry.

"What's a Golem?" May asked.

"It's…uh, it's a rock/ground-type," Ash said, his voice strangely calm, considering the anxiety building inside of him. "Evolves from Graveler, which in turn evolves from Geodude."

"Oh, a third-tier evolution, huh? I guess that means they're tough?"

Inside the gym, the Kangaskhan threw a massive, bone-breaking punch at the Golem's head. In response, the Golem merely rolled back, its stubby hands coming up to seize the Kangaskhan's fists. The Kangaskhan tried to pull back, but the Golem had it caught.

Then, moving with far more grace than anything its shape and mass ought to be capable of, the Golem twisted around, hurling the Kangaskhan over its body and slamming it into the ground. The Golem withdrew into its stony shell, rolled straight up the side of a large, stone pillar, and leapt off.

All three kids winced when it landed. "Oof."

"Uh, yes," Ash said as the dismayed trainer recalled its now-unconscious Kangaskhan back into its pokeball. "They're _very_ tough."

"Are you going to have to fight _that?"_ Yellow asked.

"Well, so will you! Once you get done bushwhacking or whatever you want to do in that slimy forest!"

"Actually, you probably won't," May said.

"Huh?"

"Gym Leaders handicap themselves according to how many badges you have and how big your team is," May explained. "Since you just started, ol' Brocky-boy will probably only use a couple of his low-level Pokemon against you. That poor sap in there probably already has a few badges, hence why he's getting the Golem treatment."

"Really?" That was relieving to hear, though upon reflection, that did make sense. If Gym Leaders went all out against all of their challengers, then nobody would ever earn badges.

The front door opened, and the dejected-looking trainer slouched out, his head bowed in defeat. The next one in line went in, followed by a _very_ nervous looking PokeGirl.

"I hope she has a type advantage," Yellow remarked.

The three of them walked away from the gym, going back onto the sidewalk. "By the way, May," Yellow said. "Have _you_ ever fought another PokeGirl?"

"Me? Nah. That would just give away the game." Then May sighed in regret. "I've always wanted to, though. It's said to be… _exhilarating."_

"I bet it is," Ash mumbled, clasping his fingers behind his head.

"Why don't you spar with Misty, then?" Yellow said. "I mean, just for fun."

"Yeah, see, I'd _like_ to, but honestly she seems kind of checked out of the whole PokeGirl business, so…"

Then there was the snarl of a powerful engine, followed by the sudden squeal of brakes.

And then an aggravatingly familiar nasal voice, one full of arrogance and scorn, called out, "Well, well, well, what do we have here? A loser who lost all his friends, a weirdo that drove away all her friends, and someone that's probably only hanging out with them out of pity!"

Ash's stomach dropped, and both of his hands instinctively curled into fists while a _very_ familiar twitch developed in his right eyelid.

_Gary._

The three of them turned to see none other than Ash's former best friend and Yellow's second ex-boyfriend, one Blue Gary Oak.

Gary had always been kind of punchable. Even when he had been "nice" there had always been something sort of slimy about him, and now it was magnified to infuriating levels. He was in the backseat of a shiny new blue convertible, slouching and smirking with a pair of movie-star sunglasses on, his collection of cheerleaders all fawning over him, while the cool and mysterious chauffer silently sat in the driver's seat.

It was such an extravagant display of pretension and privilege that Ash was struck with an almost overwhelming desire to beat the car and everyone in it with a baseball bat.

Grinning, Gary lowered his sunglasses. "Unless you're just as much a loser and a weirdo as these two. If so, you'll fit right in!"

" _Gary! Gary! He's our king!"_ chanted the cheerleader as they shook their pom-poms. _"While you losers are nothing!"_

May blinked. "Oh, you're talking to me. Okay." A pause. "I want to set you on fire."

The cheerleaders all paused in mid-shake, their faces frozen in shock. Even Gary looked taken back by the bluntly stated desire for violence.

However he did recover. "Oh, a psycho then! Gotta hand it to you, Ashy-boy. You sure know how to pick 'em!"

"Gary…" Ash growled through clenched teeth.

"Except you can't! Pick 'em, I mean, since you were too lazy to show up and pick out a starter, isn't that right, Yellow? After all, you got stuck with that little rat that Grandpaps was just trying to get rid of!"

"Pika…" Chuey bristled.

"Hi, Gary!" Yellow said with a sunny wave. "Stop being mean, okay?"

" _Awww. 'Stop being mean! Stop being mean!' Or you'll_ what, _you little bean?"_ sang the cheerleaders.

"So what's going on here?" Gary continued. "You two talking again? Did you finally stop blaming each other for your crushing defeat from two years ago? Good idea! It's not like anyone _else_ would want to hang out with you, but at least you have each other!"

"Bug off, Gary!" Ash snapped.

That just got him a chorus of laughter from the cheerleaders.

"Oh, snappy comeback there, Ash!" Gary laughed. "Hey, what are you even doing here? I would've thought that after you embarrassed yourself in front of the whole town, you would've locked yourself in your room and never come out!"

"I-"

"Oh, wait, let me guess: Yellow here felt so bad for you that she let you tag along! I mean, if you can't do the bare minimum to become a trainer, you might as well hang out with one! So what, are you like Yellow's sidekick now?"

"Shut up! I might've messed up with the starters, but I became a trainer anyway!" Ash turned his hips to display the collection of empty pokeballs attached to his belt on his left side and Nidoran and Tangela's pokeballs on his right. "See?"

In response, Ash expected one of Gary's patented mocking comebacks, maybe a sneer and a snort, something derisive about Ash only having two Pokemon or suggesting that he had gone and caught something incredibly weak, which would then be followed by Ash protesting on his Pokemon's behalf, and the back-and-forth would continue.

Instead, Gary's face froze, and a very strange look passed through his eyes. He honestly looked taken back, as if Ash actually becoming a trainer was something he hadn't expected and didn't know how to react. It was only there for half-a-second, and if Ash hadn't been looking right at Gary, he would have missed it, but it was there.

But Gary recovered quickly. Pushing his sunglasses back up over his eyes, he relaxed and put up the expected sneer. "Well, whoop-dee-doo for you," he said. "Probably just caught yourself a couple of wimpy Rattatas to try to make yourself look like a real trainer! Or did Yellow lend you a couple of hers for show?"

"No, those are his," Yellow said. She picked Metapod and Pidgeotto's off her own belt and held them up. "Mine are right here, see?"

"Aw, so you got three? How cute!" Gary held up his hand, fingers splayed, and there were four pokeballs held in the gaps between his fingers. "Well, I got both of you beat there! But then, that's nothing new!"

Yellow let out a laborious sigh. "Gary, you do know that I _let_ you win to make Leaf happy, right? You do know that, right?"

"Ha! Keep telling yourself that!"

May looked over to Ash and Yellow. "Wow, suddenly a whole lot makes sense, if you had to put up with this bozo growing up."

At this, Gary turned his full attention to her. "And who are you supposed to be, anyway?" he snapped. "Some freak they found wandering around in the forest?"

" _A loser, a weirdo, and a freak!"_ chanted the cheerleaders. _"No wonder you're all so weak!"_

May blinked.

Then she slowly turned her head back to Gary, locking eyes with him and staring intently.

At this, Gary scowled. "And what are you looking at, freak? Huh? You got something to say?"

May didn't answer. She just kept staring, her unblinking gaze boring into Gary's through his sunglasses.

"Huh? Hello?" Gary waved his hand back and forth. "You deaf or something?"

Her gaze not wavering centimeter, the edges of May's mouth began to curl up, her lips spreading to display her teeth.

And…was it Ash's imagination, or did May now have _fangs?_

"Hey, what's that look supposed to mean?" Gary said, drawing back in his seat. "What kind of psycho freak are you?"

The cheerleaders began to shake their pom-poms a bit, but it was half-hearted, and it died before a chant could begin. They also seemed quite unnerved by May's stare. One leaned in close to Gary and mumbled, "Gary, she's freaking us out."

Her eyes _still_ not moving and her wide, manic grin now a knife-slash across her face, May said through bared teeth, "Call me a freak again. I _dare_ you."

The air around May was growing hazy, and Ash had to take a step to the side to get away from the heat now rolling off of her. Whimpering, Chuey switched shoulders and scampered down Yellow's arm to get away from May.

As for Gary, he was trying to return the stare, but it was clear that he was breaking. Shimmering sweat had broken out across his brow, and the color was draining from his face.

"I…uh…forget this!" He abruptly turned away from her in a manner that probably was supposed to come off as dismissive, but it was clear how uncomfortable he now was. "I got better things to do to keep yawing with the loser's club, like claiming the Gym Leader's badge! Good luck on your journey, Ashy-boy! Try not to get eaten before I can humiliate you myself!" He waved a hand into the air. "Smell yah later!"

With that, the convertible revved it engine and took off, leaving Ash, Yellow, and May standing by themselves on the sidewalk.

Ash scowled after him, what little good mood he had built up now gone. Out of all the self-entitled, obnoxious, arrogant, cowardly _jerks_ for them to run into, it had to be Gary!

"Stupid, slimy, punk-faced, ugly, annoying…" he muttered as his fingers clenched and unclenched over and over again.

Then Yellow said in a worried tone, "Uh, _Ash?"_

May _still_ had yet to blink, and now she was staring down the road after Gary. Actual steam was rising from her body, and her eyes were starting to glow in a worrying fashion.

Ash looked down and gulped. The pavement of the sidewalk looked like it was getting soft around her feet, the concrete beginning to bubble.

"Uh, May?" he said. "You, uh…May?" He instinctively reached out with one hand toward her shoulder, only for Yellow to grab it and pull it back. Frowning, she locked eyes with him and shook her head.

Right. Touching May right now would probably be a very bad idea.

Fortunately, she seemed to have heard him, and finally closer her eyes. Inhaling deeply, she slowly breathed out a long sigh through her nose.

Her breath came out as white smoke.

"Whoa," Yellow said.

But it seemed to have done the trick. And when May opened her eyes again, she looked calmer, and the air no longer seemed to radiate with her fury.

"So," she said, folding her arms. "That was Gary, huh?"

Ash sighed. "Yup. That was Gary."

"Kind of a jerk, isn't he?" Yellow remarked.

"Kind of," May said dryly. She shook her head. "Ash, I don't know how the business with Misty will turn out, but no matter what happens, I want you to promise me something: you are going to _humiliate_ that slimy little toad. Just embarrass him in front of everybody, and do it so badly that he can never, ever show his face again."

Ash managed a weak smile. He found the support touching, but May was kind of terrifying at the moment. "Th-That's the plan!"

" _Good."_

Without another word, May turned and power-walked down the street, moving again toward the PokeCenter.

The ground where she had been standing was now slightly warped into the shape of the bottoms of her shoes.

Ash and Yellow exchanged a look. Then Ash sighed and the two moved to follow.

"You know you have an erection, right?" Yellow remarked.

Oh crap, did he? Ash glanced down to see that, yup, the little guy was in fact standing at attention.

"Great," he mumbled, sticking his hand into his pocket to adjust himself into something less noticeable.

"Was that because of Gary?"

Pausing in his work, Ash shot her a withering look. "No, it's because of _May._ You of all people should understand that!"

Yellow's face twisted up in confusion. "But she wasn't sexy! She was…scary!"

"Well, she's kind of hot when she's scary, okay?"

"Uh…okay. Ash, I think you're developing a…really weird fetish."

There, now at least it was out of the way. "Shut up," Ash said, taking removing his hand from his pocket. "It's been a weird week." Then the two of them hurried to catch up to May, who was almost to the PokeCenter.

The Pewter City PokeCenter was somewhat smaller and less sleek than the one in Viridian City, and yet it was bustling in a way that its larger cousin wasn't.

People of all stripes were milling about, some lining up for the Healing Machines, some were seated at the PC's, some heading upstairs to make use of the trading and sparring facilities, some perusing the vending machines, and others just standing or sitting around talking. There were kids as young as Ash and his friends and people old enough to be their grandparents, and every age demographic in between. There were people dressed in casual everyday wear, there were people dressed in expensive formal wear, there were people dressed like punk rockers, like scientists, like blue-collared workers, like fashion models, and even a few kids in Pokemon costumes. A few had their Pokemon out and about as well, such a pair of children that were seated in a corner feeding a spoiled-looking Vulpix to one eccentric-looking gentleman being followed by an exceptionally ditzy-looking Exeggutor.

And then there were the PokeGirls, which were easily identifiable by how revealing their outfits were and the pure, unadulterated sensuality radiating off of them, but still in their own way were just as diverse as their trainers. The most common were the ones casually walking around in the buff, while those trussed up in various forms of bondage gear were also well-represented. But then there were also the ones with themes. One particularly edgy punk-rocker wearing a mesh shirt, sharp-pointed sunglasses, various piercings, and with his hair sticking straight up in a purple mohawk was surrounded by four girls wearing knee-high black boots, black booty-shorts, and open-fronted spiked leather jackets, and nothing else. An elegant middle-aged woman was sitting daintily in one of the chairs, being attended to by a number of girls in Playboy Bunny outfits. One dapper, and yet kind of tacky, man who could have been a mafia don or maybe just a pimp was slouching with three girls in nothing but expensive lingerie draped all over him.

"Wow, there are a lot of people here," Ash said as he stared at all the trainers, travelers, tourists, Pokemon, PokeGirls, and miscellaneous gathered inside.

"Yeah, that's what happens when you have a Gym Leader that's actually in town most of the time," May said. "Viridian City apparently goes through long periods of nothing followed by a few weeks of total chaos whenever their Gym Leader actually shows up or it's getting close to the League Tournament."

Ash frowned. "But Misty's not in her-"

Her eye twitching, May dug her heel into Ash's toe.

"Ow!"

Then he saw why, and bit back his retort.

Misty was walking toward the trio.

"There you are!" she said. Fortunately, she seemed quite chipper. "Everything okay?"

"Uh, yeah!" Ash said. "Everything's fine. They gave us a stronger lotion and said we should be fine in a few days."

"The doctor told me to get naked and rubbed me down!" Yellow declared.

A middle-aged man in a suit that happened to be walking by nearly tripped. He regained his balance and hastened away.

Sighing, May pinched the bridge of her nose. "Yellow, you have _got_ to learn what _not_ to say in public."

"Oh, like you're anyone to talk," Misty said.

"Yeah, well, anyway, we also ran into Ash's best buddy, Gary. Gotta say, not a fan."

Misty sighed. "I know. I did too, right after I got here."

"You _did?"_ Ash's face darkened. "What did he do?"

Misty waved the question off. "Tried to butter me up. I told him to stuff it. He got huffy and left."

"That does seem to be his MO," May mused. "Ash, remind me why you were friends with him again?"

Ash sighed. "He wasn't always that bad. He was just kind of snooty."

"Kind of…" May drawled.

"Are you going to take away his license?" Yellow asked. "I mean, you can, can't you-"

"No!" Misty, May, and Ash all said in unison.

Yellow blinked in surprise. "Okay. Wow."

"Look, some bad people need to be banned and blacklisted, sure," Misty said. "But jerks like Gary? No, banning him will just make him cry and complain and kick up a fuss. It won't teach him anything.

"But Ash completely and utterly _destroying_ him in front of everyone?" May said with a savage grin. She squeezed her right hand into a tight fist, making the knuckles pop. "Oh, that will be _so_ sweet."

"He'll never be able to show his face in town again!" Ash breathed in deep through his nose and let it out with a satisfied sigh, as if savoring some succulent scent.

Yellow's face twisted up in confusion. "I don't know. Seems way too chancy." She looked over to Misty. "And what happens at Cerulean? Will he have to fight you?"

"He would, but he has a car, so he'll probably get there before us," Misty said with a regretful sigh. "So he'll fight one of my sisters. I probably should just give him the Cascade Badge right now and save everyone the trouble."

"Are they that bad?"

"Well, let me put it this way: the last time I took a vacation, there was a _line_ of people looking for an easy badge, and our PokeCenter emailed me personally to complain about how the lack of trainers needing to heal up was hurting their business." Then she looked over to Ash, her eyes shining. "And speaking of business, Ash! Come with me!"

"Huh? Why, what are-"

Misty grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him to a nearby desk.

"-uh, okay."

Pulling the chair out from the desk, Misty pushed Ash into the seat and slapped down a piece of paper and a pen.

"What's this?" Ash said, picking up the paper and quizzically looking it over. "Are you making me sign my soul away or…"

Then he saw what it said, and his back stiffened.

Blinking several times to confirm that he hadn't misread it, he looked up at Misty, who was grinning proudly down at him.

"No way."

"Uh, way!"

"But…how? I thought only professors could…"

Smirking, Misty sat onto the top of the desk and flirtatiously swung her legs back and forth. "What good is being a Gym Leader if you can't pull a few strings?"

The paper was an official Pokemon Trainer contract, detailing the rights and responsibilities Ash would have as a Indigo League-certified trainer, as while just about anyone could catch and train Pokemon, one needed to be officially registered in order to challenge for badges and compete in the tournament. Most of it was already filled out, mainly the part that required validation by an official League member and a Pokemon Professor. Misty had taken care of the former, while the rest was done by one Professor Bill Conifer, the friend Misty had mentioned earlier. All that was required was for Ash to fill out his personal information, contact details, and sign and date the bottom.

"This is amazing!" Ash was honestly touched. "Thank you so much!"

"Hey, it's the least I could do," Misty said. She stretched her leg out and nudged Ash with her foot. "Now just fill it out."

Nodding, Ash hastily got to work, filling in all his personal information. However, when he got to the part with his address and contact information, he froze.

"Uh, is something wrong?" Misty said, frowning in concern.

Ash winced. "I, uh, just realized that I still haven't called my mom," he said. "I mean, she already knew I was going on my Pokemon journey, but she probably heard about me showing up too late and then running off, so…"

"Oof, yeah, I can see why she'd be worried," Misty said sympathetically. "Okay, well, there's a video phone right over there. Let's get you all certified, and then you can call her."

Ash nodded and quickly filled out the remaining parts. Once done, he handed the contract back to Misty.

"Great! Now, let me see your PokeDex. Since it's used, I'm going to have to reset and reregister it."

"Okay." Ash reached into his pack and pulled out the PokeDex Nurse Joy had given him. "Here you go."

Misty took both and went over to the PC's. When she came back, instead of the contract she was holding a small plastic card.

"Here you go!" she said, handing both it and the PokeDex to Ash. "Congratulations, you are now officially a Pokemon trainer!"

Grinning, Ash took both. There he was, with his name and Nidoran and Tangela showing up on his listed team. "Finally! Now I can…"

His voice trailed off when he saw the photo on the ID. He sighed.

"You had to use this picture, didn't you?" he said.

"What? _Whaaaaaat?_ " Misty said, leaning over his shoulder and playfully pressing her cheek to his. "I told you to smile! Besides, I think I got your good side!"

Shaking his head, Ash put the PokeDex away. Oh well, the important thing was that he had an ID. It didn't matter how silly his picture looked.

Then he saw something else. "Uh, Misty?" he said. "You're, uh, you're not on the team here. Does that mean…?"

"Oh, that! Well, obviously we have to keep _that_ little detail under wraps until we get back to Cerulean City. In the meantime though, Bill fixed it so that I won't show up on your trainer information or take up any team slots! And when I get home, it won't be a problem anymore."

Maybe not, but it was a reminder that Ash's time with Misty was now limited, which was pretty sobering. He had come to grips with the idea that she would be leaving him soon. After all, he couldn't possibly keep a _Gym Leader_ with him. There was no way that would work. And forcing her to stay as a PokeGirl would just make her unhappy, and there was no way he could do that to her.

But still, he was going to miss her, and even with Nidoran and Tangela (who hopefully would have learned to trust him by then) and any other Pokemon he would have caught by then along, it was going to be lonely without her and May.

 _Maybe I can convince Yellow to come along,_ he thought. Surely now that they were friends again, she would…but no. She had made it clear that she saw a different path for herself. Besides, he had already been planning on doing his journey alone. He was just going back to Plan A, that was all.

"Good idea," he said before Misty could notice his hesitation.

Then he had a disturbing thought.

"So…does this just work on you, or on PokeGirls in general?"

At this, Misty grinned. "Why?" she said, giving him a teasing poke to the nose. "Planning on building yourself a little harem anyway when I'm gone?"

"N-No! Of course not! I mean, it's not like I could even…I'm just curious, that's all!"

Misty rolled her eyes. "Well, it's easier to do a blanket disguise then find a way to exclude just one person, so yes, any PokeGirls you catch aren't going to show up. Once I'm released, I'll call Bill, and he'll fix it so you'll have a normal team list for a kid." She leaned in close. "But of course, _you're_ not going to be catching anymore PokeGirls, are you?"

"Of course not!" Ash said indignantly. "I just wanted to know the rules, that's all!"

Though the truth was, he was actually more concerned about another human ball, one that was nestled by itself in his jacket pocket. Inside was the Rocket Grunt. He really needed to find a way to get rid of her.

He ought to go to the police…but no. If the Viridian City police were crooked, who was to say that these ones could be trusted? For all he knew, they'll just free her and capture _him_ and his friends out of revenge.

But if he did nothing, he was going to be walking around with her trapped forever, and that just didn't sit right with him. Sure, she was an evil criminal that had tried to do awful things to him and May, but nobody deserved that!

"Um, Ash?" Misty waved a hand in front of his face. "You kind of zoned out there. You're not taking the whole 'harem' thing seriously, are you?"

"No way!" Ash said hastily. He shook himself out of his reverie and hastily gathered up his PokeDex and new ID card. "Oh, uh, Misty? Thank you. I mean it."

"No problem!" Misty said with a wink. "Just promise me that you'll make me proud."

"I will!"

Then boldness struck Ash, and before he could change his mind, he turned his head and planted a kiss on Misty's cheek.

Misty blinked in surprise. Then she grinned. "Why, you _scoundrel!"_ She leaned in and kissed him back.

On the mouth.

Ash's eyes bulged wide as Misty's mouth covered his, and then drooped down, his face relaxing. He kissed her back, his mouth responding to hers, letting her lead but eager to follow.

The next thing Ash knew, Misty was sitting in his lap, facing him with her legs straddling him to either side. She placed her hands on his shoulders and pressed in, deepening the kiss. Feeling his heart began to race, Ash found his hands sliding around to rest on her butt, pulling her in.

And then, before things could continue further, he heard someone chuckle.

Both of them feeling bleary and addled with lust, they parted and turned their heads. Standing there was the man dressed as a sleazy pimp, with greasy hair, a loud green-and-purple suit, and quite a lot of gaudy jewelry. He was leading around his trio of lingerie-clad PokeGirls walking around on all fours by leashes fixed to collars around their necks.

The man leered at the two horny children and flashed them a bright smile and a thumb's-up. "That's right, kids," he said. "Go get you some!"

Confused, Ash and Misty looked at each other only to realize what a compromising position they had put themselves in, and in public no less! Blushing with embarrassment, Misty hastily leapt off of Ash and turned away with an awkward cough.

Snickering, the man shot them a lazy salute and left.

Ash took off his hat and ran his shaking fingers through his hair. Man, that had been something else.

"Sorry about that," Misty mumbled.

Ash sighed. "It's…okay. I mean, I kind of started it."

"Still. That wasn't…" Then Misty sighed. "Never mind. Let's get back to the rest."

To Ash's chagrin, both May and Yellow were grinning widely at them as they approached. "So," May said. "Credit where it's due. Most people sneak off to the restroom or the janitor's closet to do that." She licked her thumb and pressed it against her own butt. Actual steam hissed up in response.

"Do they?" Yellow wondered out loud. "I mean, no one else is."

She pointed to one well-dressed middle-aged woman who was sitting in one of the lobby couches, a pair of teenaged PokeGirls cuddled up to her. She had her arms draped around the two, her hands idly fingers their nipples, while a third PokeGirl was down on all fours in front of her, her head deep into the lady's skirt.

"Yeah, but those are PokeGirls," May said dismissively. "Everyone does it with PokeGirls."

"Yeah, but isn't Misty a…" Seeing the glowers Misty was sending her, Yellow winced and shut up. "Right. Under wraps. Got it."

Ash straightened out his shirt and sighed. His erection was still _painfully_ hard, and likely would be so until they got out of there.

"Anyway, what was that all about?" May said, entwining her fingers behind her neck.

"Oh, right! Look who's officially registered now!" Ash proudly showed them his new ID card.

May and Yellow took one look at it and burst out laughing. "Ash? You look like you're trying to catch bugs with your mouth!" Yellow said.

Ash scowled. "Ha-Ha. She surprised me, okay?" He put the ID card back into his wallet. "And the important thing is that now I'm an official trainer."

"By the way, what does your picture look like, Yellow?" May asked.

"Oh, much better! Look!"

Yellow held up an ID card of her own. Ash, May, and Misty all leaned in to see.

Then Misty snorted.

Unlike Ash, Yellow knew that the photo was coming and was ready. But it was no less funny. She was grinning from ear-to-ear, with her chin tilted up and her eyes squeezed shut in such a way that it made it look like her mouth was twice as large as it actually was. In fact, looked less like a face and more like a giant, toothy smile with a tiny nose peeking out of the top, framed by tufts of yellow hair.

"Um," Ash said, unsure if Yellow had taken such a goofy photo or not. "That is…"

" _Adorable!"_ May squealed. "All right, pack it up, it's over. The gold standard of ID photos has been set!"

Yellow beamed, flashing as toothy a grin as her photo.

Shaking his head, Ash smiled and put his new ID card away. That Yellow. Back home, no matter how odd she might be, one could never say that having her around was at all boring. Mom used to say-

Then Ash smacked himself in the temple. "Oh, right!"

All three girls turned to him. "Huh?"

"I gotta go call my mom!"

Yellow's face fell in disappointment. "You mean you still haven't? Ash! That's mean!"

"Well, I didn't mean to! I would've called her in Viridian City if…all _that_ hadn't gone down!"

"All right, all right, relax," Misty said, coming up behind Ash and laying her hands on his shoulders. She pointed to one wall, where there was a line of video phones. "Just call her right now."

Ash nodded. He was about to head over, only to hesitate. "But…What do I say? She's going to be so upset!"

"She'll be more upset if you don't call her. Just, you know, be sure to apologize and grovel a lot!" Then Misty blinked. "Oh wait, do we get to meet her?"

At this, Ash cheered some. "Of course you do! She'd love to meet you guys. And I'm sure she'd be happy to see Yellow again!"

May made a face. "Parents? I don't know…"

"Oh, come on!" Yellow said, taking her by the hand. "Ash's mom is great! You'll like her, I promise."

"If you say so…"

"Um, yeah, but first…" Misty held up a finger, drawing everyone's attention.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked.

"We _really_ need to work out what we're going to tell her and be sure we've got our story straight," Misty said. "Because there's a few details she absolutely cannot know about, and we can't risk accidentally slipping."

Ash winced. "Oooh, good point. Okay, let's see…"

…

Delia Ketchum tried not to be a worrier. She tried not to fuss and fidget about the men in her family's single-minded fascination with the various powerful and dangerous creatures that inhabited their world. She tried to keep an open mind about how drawn they were to actually going out into the world and capturing said creatures for the purpose of battle.

But dang it, she had literally met her husband when he had gravely injured himself while doing just that! And while he had eventually done the smart thing and decided to settle down for a much safer life as a husband and provider, Ash had inherited so much from him, something that his father's many stories of his wild and dangerous adventures had done nothing to quell.

Still, Ash's life was his own, and if it was his dream to become a Pokemon trainer, then Delia was going to support him. Was she also going to offer many tidbits of advice and practical suggestions to ensure his safety? Of course! But she was going to support him.

But keeping that mindset was kind of hard after finding out that Ash had shown up too late to Sam's lab to get his own starter Pokemon and had run away in tears, less than an hour before a violent storm had rampaged over the countryside.

No one had seen him since.

That was the hardest part, the not knowing. If Ash had simply received a starter as expected, been properly equipped by Samuel, and headed out as planned, then sure, Delia would be worried about him; any mother would! But this? This was something different. For all she knew, he had run away in shame, or gotten hit by lightning, or attacked by a wild Pokemon with no Pokemon with which to defend himself, or contracted pneumonia, or any other cruel fates.

She tried to tell herself that he was fine, that he had acquired his first Pokemon through other means and was now happily roaming the countryside, scaring up Weedles and Pidgeys. The police had said that there had been nobody found in the surrounding area, and there certainly was nothing large enough around that could kill a ten-year-old boy and leave no trace. So he was probably fine. So what if he hadn't contacted her? He probably wasn't even at Viridian City yet!

Even though it was, at most, two days away.

Sure. He was taking his time. Boys liked to explore. That had to be it.

In the meantime, she still had her own responsibilities to see to. The Pallet House restaurant wasn't going to run itself, and it wouldn't do to let it go to waste. Besides, submerging herself in familiar routine would surely help keep her mind off Ash and all the terrible things that could be happening to him.

While checking the phone and her messages every few minutes, praying that there would be some word from him. The police had promised to notify her the second there was any sign of him. So sooner or later, she would hear from him. Sooner or later…

"Delly!" Catherine called from the back. "Your kid's on the phone for you!"

Delia was in the back office in seconds. Sure enough, on the big video phone on the wall, there was Ash.

"Oh, my God!" Delia blurted out. "Ash, are you okay? Baby, what happened? Where have you been?"

" _Mom, I'm okay, I'm okay,"_ Ash was quick to reassure her. _"I'm in Pewter City, and I'm fine!"_

"Pewter City? What are…" Then Delia blinked. "Ash, what happened to you? You look…"

Ash did look he had been through a rough time, which was miles better than dead, but still not good enough for Delia. His skin was a shade or two darker than it had been, and not from a tan. It actually looked like he had gotten a really bad sunburn, leaving him on the raw side.

" _Toasted? Yeah, I know,"_ Ash said with an embarrassed laugh. _"I had a little accident with a Pikachu."_

"A Pikachu? Wait, do you mean-"

" _Hi, Delia!"_ The exuberant face of little Yellow Amy Nelson suddenly popped into view. And sure enough, there was a Pikachu riding on her shoulder.

" _Yellow?_ Is that you? Wow, so…" Delia suddenly felt the need to sit down. Plopping down into a nearby chair, she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Okay. Ash. I am so very glad to see that you're okay, but _please explain where you've been!_ They told me that you showed up too late to get a Pokemon from Professor Oak and ran off almost a week ago, and I haven't heard from you since! What happened to you? Why haven't you called?"

Ash winced at that. _"I'm sorry, Mom. I didn't mean to make you worry. But after, uh, that thing at the lab, I ended up catching a Pokemon on my own, so I decided to just get going on my journey. But when I got to Viridian City, their PokeCenter had been damaged in the storm and was closed, and since the Gym Leader was out of town I just decided to keep moving."_

Delia's head was reeling. "Ash, don't they have _payphones?"_

" _I, uh, didn't think of that. I'm sorry, it was a crazy day."_

"And you left all your stuff! Have you been sleeping on _rocks?_ What have you been eating?"

" _It's okay, Delia!"_ Yellow chimed in. _"I ran into him pretty quickly, and we both stocked up before leaving Viridian City. He just had a bad start, that's all."_

"I…" Sighing, Delia pressed her fingertips to her forehead. Well, at least those two were friends again. Things had definitely gotten awkward when they had started fighting. "All right. I'll try not to fuss. But you have to understand, I'm still a mother."

" _I know, I know,"_ Ash said, clearly disappointed in himself. _"I promise I'll call whenever I can from now on."_

Delia refrained from saying that he'd better. Honestly, he had just so much of his father's headstrong determination in him, something she both admired and was greatly frustrated by.

"All right," she said again. "I'm just glad that you're all right, and that you're looking after each other."

" _Better than all right! Check this out!"_

Ash reached for something on his belt, and a moment later light condensed in his arms, forming a small, purple creature with large ears and a spiny back.

" _Nido?"_ it inquired, clearly unsure of what was going on.

" _This is my new friend!"_ Ash proudly. _"Nidoran, meet my mom!"_

He moved his arms in closer, and the Nidoran inquisitively leaned forward and placed its forepaws against the screen, its nose twitching. _"Nidoran!"_

Delia couldn't help but smile. "Hello, Nidoran! Thank you for taking care of my son."

" _Ni!"_

" _And I also caught a Tangela as well!"_ Ash said. _"Unfortunately I can't bring it out, since it's still pretty banged up and we haven't had a turn at the Healing Machines yet."_

Then an unfamiliar voice offscreen said, _"Hey, Ash. When are you gonna introduce us? I wanna meet your mom!"_

" _Oh, right! Sorry."_

Delia blinked in surprise. Who was that?

Then two young, pretty girls moved into view, one a spunky-looking redhead in a yellow tanktop and suspender shorts and the other a bright-eyed brunette in a red shirt and a white skirt with a red bandanna tied around her head.

" _Mom, this is Misty and May! We ran into them right before reaching Viridian City, and we've been traveling together ever since!"_

" _Hello, Mrs. Ketchum!"_ said the redhead, whom Ash had called Misty, with a friendly wave.

" _Nice to meet you!"_ said May, the brunette.

At this, Delia's brow rose. "My, my, _my!"_ she said. "Well, this is a nice surprise! A pleasure to meet you as well! Are you two junior trainers as well?"

" _Uh, she is,"_ May said. _"I'm just here for the fun."_

Fun indeed. Delia's eyes flitted from May, to Misty, and then to Yellow. More of the tension began to leave her, to be replaced with wry amusement and a small amount of pride. Well, it would seem that in addition to his headstrong determination, love of Pokemon, and starry-eyed desire for adventure, Ash had also inherited his father's boyish charms. _Good_ for _him!_

"Well, I'm very happy to hear that my son is in the care of such capable looking young ladies," Delia said. "I hope you're taking good care of him!"

" _You know it!"_ May suddenly looped an arm around Ash's neck and pulled him in close. _"This knucklehead would be helpless without us!"_

" _Hey, get off of me!"_ Ash squirmed out of her grasp and glowered at her in indignation. _"I saved your butt just as often as you've saved mine!"_

"Saved?" Delia's brow rose. "From what?"

Ash froze. _"Uh…"_

" _Angry Tangela!"_ Yellow chimed in. _"It was a whole thing. But Ash caught it!"_

" _Yeah, that was crazy,"_ Misty said with a solemn nod.

"I…" Delia breathed out again. "Okay. I already said that I trust you to take care of yourself, and all you clearly have each other's backs. So, I guess I'll be sleeping better tonight."

" _Thanks, Mom,"_ Ash said. _"We'll be safe, I promise!"_

Then May placed her hands on Misty and Yellow's shoulders. _"Come on, girls. Let's give the Ketchums some space."_

" _Okay!"_ Yellow waved. _"Bye, Delia! It was great seeing you again!"_

When the girls were gone, Delia locked eyes with her son, who immediately winced.

" _Um, I really am sorry I made you worry,"_ he said. _"I didn't mean to leave you in the dark."_

"Ash, it's fine," Delia said with a small smile. "Yes, I would've appreciated all call, but I know how crazy those first few days are." She paused, and added, "And I am proud of you. You bumped back from a major setback, got right back on track, and made two new friends and reconnected with an old one!"

" _Yeah, that was surprising,"_ Ash admitted. _"I ran into Yellow right outside of Viridian Forest. It was…pretty awkward at first, but after we teamed up to take down that Tangela, I guess we just started clicking again like we used to. Then we talked it out."_

"Well, that's really good to hear," Delia said. "I know you were upset, but I could tell that you missed her." She then raised an eyebrow. "So…?"

" _Huh?"_

Leaning forward with a knowing smile, Delia steepled her fingers in front of her face and said, "When I last heard of you, you were heading off on your own. Now you've got three lovely young ladies hanging off of you!"

Even with his face already red from his accident, Ash's blush was visible. _"Mom!"_

"I mean you did seem pretty close! And don't think I didn't notice how you were looking at them."

" _It's not like that! We're just friends!"_

"Mmmm, if you say so." If that was what he really thought, then Delia would just let him find out on his own. "But do promise that you'll take care of yourself, and I don't just mean staying safe. Make sure you're eating right, keeping clean, and wear a clean pair of underwear every day!"

Ash sighed, but he nodded.

"Oh, and before I forget…" Delia waggled her eyebrows. "Have fun, but not _too_ much fun."

" _Mom!"_

…

"Well, she seems real nice!" May said as she and the other girls walked away from Ash.

"She is!" Yellow said. "I missed talking to her."

Misty sighed.

"Something wrong?" May asked.

"Not really. It's just, you know." Misty shrugged. "Junior trainer."

May laughed, and looped an arm around Misty's shoulders. "Oh, don't take it personally. You were always an anomaly, and she has no way of knowing."

"I know, it's just…um…" Misty squirmed in discomfort. "It would be nice…to be…recognized."

May tilted her head and frowned. "Uh, you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just…." She breathed out. "PokeGirl hormones. Your touch."

"My touch?" Then May grinned. "Oooh, right. I remember what that was like!" She removed her arm.

"Huh?" Yellow said, blinking.

"PokeGirls get horny _really_ easily," May told her. "Plus, when there's a bunch of us together, we tend to give off pheromones that only other PokeGirls pick up on. You get used to it, but it's pretty intense your first few times." She turned to Misty. "You must be leaking pretty badly right now."

Misty shot her a dirty look. "Not yet," she mumbled. But she wasn't far off.

That was when Ash jogged up to join them. "Hey," he said. "Thanks for helping me out there."

"No problem!" May said. "And I'm not the biggest fan of parents, but you mom is okay."

"Just okay?"

"Trust me, it's a big compliment coming from her," Misty muttered. "So, everything good back home then?"

"Yeah, it's fine, thankfully," Ash said with a relieved sigh.

Then Yellow tugged on his sleeve.

"There's a Healing Machine open!" she said, pointing. "Let's drop our Pokemon off."

Fortunately, while the PokeCenter was certainly busy, it wasn't overwhelmed, and the children had no problem reaching the Healing Machines.

"Here you go!" Yellow said, handing the nurse on duty a tray with her Metapod and Pidgeotto's pokeballs.

"Thank you!" the nurse said, taking them. Then she took notice on Chuey, who was seated on Yellow's shoulder. "But does your Pikachu need any treatment?"

"Oh, Chuey doesn't like being in a pokeball," Yellow said, reaching up to scratch Chuey's neck. "So I keep it healthy with potions and plenty of backrubs!"

"Pika!" Chuey said happily.

"Hmmm, well, if you say so," the nurse said dubiously. "But you know that potions are no replacement for a full healing session, and there are problems that they can't take care of."

At this, Chuey scowled. "Pika-pi!" it growled in indignation.

"Very well, point taken," the nurse said with a small chuckle. Then she turned to Ash, who also had a tray with Nidoran and Tangela's pokeballs ready. "And thank you, young man. We'll have these ready for you in no time."

Ash didn't hand her the tray. He just stared.

"Um, is…something wrong?" the nurse said, tilting her head.

"Nurse _Joy?"_ Ash gawked. "Is that you?"

It had to be! The young woman working the counter looked _exactly_ like Nurse Joy: same face, same pink hair, same height, same dress.

Same flawless skin, same stunning figure that her PokeCenter uniform and apron only barely hid, same radiant smile, same ethereal beauty and aura of warm kindness…

Ash shook his head. Man, all the naked girls he was spending time around was really messing with his head.

"Hmmm?" Nurse Joy tilted her head. "I'm sorry, but have we met?"

Oh man, it was just like Misty had said! She had been brainwiped, and…sent to Pewter City for some reason! How was he supposed to-

"Oh, wait a minute!" She chuckled. "You met someone that looks like me in another city, didn't you?"

"Uh…yeah? In Viridian City?"

"Oh, you met my sister!"

"…I beg your pardon?"

Snickering, Misty walked up to him. "The Joy family pretty much runs the PokeCenter business," she said. "You can find a member of that family working every single PokeCenter in Kanto!"

"And many outside it!" Nurse Joy said proudly.

Ash blinked. "And you all look the same?"

"Strong genetics! And we're not the only ones. The Jenny family has a proud tradition of serving in law enforcement. You'll find one of them working the police force of every city as well."

"It's a little odd at first, but you get used to it," Misty told him.

"I…oh. Uh, okay." Ash shook his head. Well, that was…weird, but not the weirdest thing he had encountered the last few days.

Then he had a thought. "So, uh, how is your sister doing?" he said. "I mean, she was really nice when we visited her, so…"

"How considerate of you! Unfortunately, she's feeling a bit under the weather at the moment. Just as well though, as the Viridian City PokeCenter suffered a bit of some damage in that storm a few days ago and had to shut down. Still, at least she'll have some time to rest."

"Oh. But…she's still doing okay, right?"

"Oh, certainly. Probably just a flu. We Joys have pretty strong immune systems, but we still get sick on occasion," said the new Nurse Joy. She then smiled. "In the meantime, how can I help you?"

"Oh, right!" Ash handed her the tray. "Well, this one's my Nidoran, and it just needs to be freshened up." Then he tapped Tangela's pokeball. "But this Tangela here needs something extra."

"Oh? And why's that?"

"Because it's totally coocoo!" May chimed in.

Ash winced. "We found it in Viridian Forest, and it…wasn't well. We're pretty sure it was sick, but also it was going all crazy, attacking trainers, and kidnapping their PokeGirls."

"Hmmm?" Nurse Joy's brow furrowed. "A wild Pokemon kidnapping PokeGirls? What was it doing to them?"

"Nothing! It would just put them to sleep and sort of just lay them in a row! It had this crazy lair full of junk and weird carvings on the walls." Ash dug into his pocket. Before they had moved on from the Tangela's lair, he had made sure to go back and get plenty of pictures.

"See? It was like this!"

"Well, that is certainly very odd behavior," Nurse Joy said, rifling through the photographs. Her face twisted up when she got to the one of the carvings on the cave.

"Can you make anything of them?" May asked.

"Well, not really. I mean, this looks like it was trying to imitate a trainer's ID card, but it's…" Nurse Joy shook her head. "Well, this is probably not for me to figure out, as I'm not detective. But this guy would definitely need to be looked at."

"We think it probably had been abused by a former trainer," May said. "And it just sort of snapped."

"That's definitely a possibility. A sad possibility, but a very probable one." Sighing, Nurse Joy took the tray. "Okay, we'll give it a full scan and see what we can come up with."

"How long will that take?" Ash asked.

"About six hours."

Ash jerked. "Six _hours?_ B-But it only took…" He glanced over to Misty, who shot him a warning look, and he quickly amended his story. "But my friend had a PokeGirl who was almost killed by a lightning strike, and it only took them one hour to completely heal her!"

"Yes, but that was just restoring damaged tissue to its previous state," Nurse Joy explained. "Here, we have to scan it fully molecule by molecule to see what we can determine what it's been through and what mental ailments it might have, and that's on top of fixing anything afterward. I assume that since you managed to catch it, it was roughened up a little before?"

At this, Ash sighed. "Yeah. Poisoned, paralyzed, and burned."

"And it looked _really_ sick before all that!" Yellow added. "Like, it was all gross and yellow and was dripping slime everywhere."

"For a Tangela, that's not a good sign. So I'm afraid this will take some time. Do you have a trainer's ID?"

"Oh, yeah!" Ash slid it over to her. "Right here."

"Good." Nurse Joy scanned it. "There. Now, you're from out of town, aren't you? Are you staying anywhere we can contact you?"

"Not yet," Ash sighed as he stuck his ID back into his wallet. "But we'll be by on time!"

"That's good to hear." Nurse Joy then nudged Tangela's pokeball with her finger. "Still, should you be staying somewhere with a phone number, please give us a call so we can know how to contact you if I have to. And thank you for bringing this by. Any Pokemon that has been hurt to that point needs all the help it can get."

Misty frowned, but said nothing.

"No problem!" Ash and his friends started for the door. "I hope you can help it."

"We will!" Nurse Joy waved to them. "Have a nice day!"

…

Trainer Hotels were a common feature in any sizeable town with a gym. As the name implied, they catered to traveling trainers, providing a temporary respite from their journey, a place to rest up before continuing on, a place to stay while training up to battle the local Gym Leader, a place with a real bed and a hot shower.

To tell the truth, Ash was a little nervous when he and his friends approached the front counter. After all, hotels were _expensive,_ and they probably wouldn't rent a room to a bunch of kids anyway. But to his surprise, a four bed, two bath room for the four of them turned out to be surprisingly affordable once he, Misty, and Yellow had presented their trainer licenses, though he had a feeling that Misty's fancy ID might have knocked a fair bit off the price.

Regardless, when they opened the door to their room, they found themselves liking what they saw. The room was obviously designed for a traveling party, with four comfortable-looking sleeping mats on the ground, a television surrounded by chairs in one corner, and a video phone on the wall. There was a town map on the wall that marked places of special interest to trainers, framed pictures of various landmarks and the surrounding landscape, and another map detailing the countryside around Pewter City and what species of Pokemon could be found there.

One photograph in particular drew Ash's attention. It was of the front of the Pewter City Gym. Sitting cross-legged in front of it was none other than Brock Harrison, the local Gym Leader, still shirtless and with his hands resting on his knees, a serious expression on his face, though it looked like his eyes were shut for some reason. Maybe he was meditating.

Surrounding him were various rock-type Pokemon. In addition to the Golem Ash had already seen, he also saw a massive Onix rearing up behind Brock, a glowering Rhydon with its stubby fingers clenched into fists, and…wow, was that a _Kabutops?_ While the cloning of extinct Pokemon was a known practice, the technology was still in its infancy and had a spotty success rate. Pokemon that were properly cloned and healthy were exceedingly rare, so the fact that Brock had even one was one heck of a status symbol.

In addition to the heavy-hitters, there were also a few unevolved counterparts, such as a flexing Geodude and a surly-looking Rhyhorn, no doubt for lower-leveled trainers. And seated to either side in front of the posing Pokemon were six PokeGirls, all of them muscular and athletic, and all of them dressed in a manner that could only be described as Cavewoman Princess. They had on studded bikini tops of black leather and fur loincloths held up by iron belts, and around each of their necks was a spiked collar.

"Oooh, pretty!" Yellow said, coming up beside Ash to stare at the picture.

"Who, him?" Ash said, pointing at Brock.

"No, silly! His PokeGirls! They're so…buff!"

"You kinda have to be if you're throwing around rocks all day," May remarked as she slipped her pack from her shoulders. Raising her arms up behind her head, she closed her eyes and arched her back, making the vertebrae pop. "Oh, that feels good!"

"When are you going to challenge?" Yellow asked Ash.

"Maybe tomorrow," Ash said. "The day after at the latest."

"Can I come? I'm probably not going to take a swing this time around, but I want to know what he's like."

"Sure!" Then Ash looked over to the video phone. He'd better give the PokeCenter a call and let them know the number he could be reached at.

It was a short call, and when he hung up he turned to the girls.

"Okay, so, what do you all want to do now?" he asked.

"Nothing, at least not until I've had a shower," Misty said, moving quickly to one of the bathrooms. "Dibs!"

"Hang on, I'll join you!" May said, running after her.

"What? You don't even like water!"

"No, I get _weak_ in water, there's a difference! So it's perfect if I'm planning on taking a long nap afterward!"

The door slammed, leaving Ash and Yellow alone in the room.

"Uh, okay," Ash said, blinking.

Yellow placed Chuey down, and the little Pikachu bounded over to one of the mats and curled up on the blanket with a happy sigh.

"You know they're going to have sex in there, right?" Yellow said, as blunt as ever.

Ash sighed. "Thank you, I had figured." Then he looked over to the other bathroom. "Well, I guess we can take turns. You can go first."

Yellow rolled her eyes. "Oh _please._ It's nothing either of us have seen before."

"Huh? But-"

Yellow came up behind him and gave him a shove. "Come on, stop being such a baby."

"I'm not being a baby!" Ash protested as he was pushed into the vacant bathroom. "It's called being a gentleman!"

Yellow shut the door. "Well, a gentleman would know that the lady is going to need help lotioning her back after, just like the lady knows that the gentleman is going to need help with his!"

"I…fine." Whatever. Ash was too tired to argue. Besides, she did have a point. The two of them had searched a dark and dangerous forest and battled a deranged Pokemon together while naked.

Then again, that had been a desperate life-or-death situation. Taking a shower together felt a little more…intimate.

Right?

Ash frowned. Come to think of it, the thought of bathing with Yellow wasn't flustering him all that much at all, not like it would have if it were Misty or May. Sure, she was _cute,_ but he just didn't find her particularly alluring, and he had already seen her naked several times over the last few days. She just didn't do it for him, and he was pretty sure the disinterest was mutual.

Huh.

The bathroom was surprisingly spacious, with two shower cubicles at either side of the far wall and a pink bathtub nestled in an alcove in-between. The floor itself was tiled with a drain, and a small stool sat in the middle, so that two people could wash each other's backs. There were a couple of sinks on the wall next to the door. Towels hung from racks on the wall to the left and to the right, and right next to the door was a laundry chute.

"Is that one of those quick-cleaning laundry thingies?" Yellow said, pointing to the chute. "The ones that have your clothes all cleaned and dried in like ten minutes?"

"Looks like," Ash said. That was a relief. He didn't have any clean clothes to change into (probably should take care of that soon) and didn't relish the idea of having to put on his stinky, grimy, sweaty outfit right after getting clean. Thankfully, Trainer Hotels were all owned and operated by the League, and they spared no expense in providing traveling trainers with every amenity that they needed.

The two stripped down, Yellow matter-of-factly pulling her tunic off while Ash unbuckled his belt. As he dropped his pants, he watched Yellow out of the corner of his eye.

She continued to undress, shucking off her pants as well. As she did, Ash noticed that she was eyeing him as well.

Sighing, Ash shrugged off his jacket, unstrapped and removed his gloves, and peeled off his shirt. When his head popped out, he saw Yellow standing in nothing but her panties, staring at him.

"What?" he said, feeling just a little self-conscious.

"I think the new lotion's helping," she remarked. "Your skin is way less flaky than it was before."

Ash blinked.

Then he rolled his eyes and pushed his boxers off while Yellow slipped out of her panties. The two of them then bundled up their clothes and dropped them into the chute.

"Okay," Yellow said when that was done. "Now we're naked."

"Yup," Ash said with a nod.

"Only it's just the two of us this time."

Ash crossed his arms over his chest. "Uh-huh."

"And May and Misty are probably making out in the other bathroom right now."

Ash swallowed. "Y-Yeah."

Yellow glanced down. "Your penis just kinda twitched."

Ash sighed. "Can you, like, stop remarking on my dick every time you see it?"

"Well, it did."

"You brought up them making out, not me!"

"Do you want to join them?"

"Do _you?"_ Ash threw back at her.

"Yes."

"Well, I do too, then!"

"Should we?"

"Nope!"

"I didn't think so either." Yellow then glanced around the room. "So…what should we do now?"

"We're in a bathroom, aren't we? Well, let's clean up!"

As Yellow undid her braid, Ash went over to one of the shower cubicles. It was doorless, so he just stepped inside and inspected the shower nozzle.

It was detachable, hanging on a mount while trailing a long, segmented cord, probably for use if two people wanted to wash each other outside. He took it down and looked it over. There seemed to be a few different settings in regards to the water pressure, as well as a trigger button.

Hmmm.

He twisted the shower on and waited for the water to warm up. Then he gave the shower a couple experimental sprays.

Then he smirked.

"Hey, Yellow?" he said, stepping out of the cubicle.

Yellow peeked out of the other shower cubicle, her hair already wet. "Hmmm?"

Then Ash lifted the shower nozzle and sprayed her right in the face. "Think fast!"

…

As tired as she was, Misty wasn't blind. She knew full well May's reasons for insisting on joining her and what she expected.

Sure enough, as soon as the door latch clicked, May pounced, seizing Misty from behind in her slender arms and holding onto her tight. Growling with need, May pressed her lips to where Misty's neck met her shoulder, planting hot kisses over the freckled skin.

Despite herself, Misty couldn't help but let out a needy moan. May's ministrations had been hard enough to resist even before becoming a PokeGirl, but now, after having her sex drive skyrocket, after tramping through Viridian Forest for days, when the only spots of relief that she had where when she had found time to steal off by herself for some privacy, and after immersing herself in the haze of eroticism given off by all those PokeGirls she had passed, from seeing their bare bodies and breathing in their scent, just summoning up the will to turn May down was driving her mad.

But she _had_ to. She couldn't let herself be with May, or anyone. Not after what had happened.

"May, no," she whimpered. "S-Stop."

"Mmmm. Don't wanna." May slid her tongue up Misty's neck, leaving a warm trail of saliva, and closed her teeth down on Misty's ear.

Oh, it felt _so good,_ and there was nothing Misty wanted to do right then than to tear both of their clothes off, throw May to the floor, and fuck her until they were both too sore to move, to mark her with her teeth and taste every centimeter of her warm, yielding flesh.

But she _couldn't._ "May, no!" Summoning up enough willpower to crack through the mist of arousal that was enveloping her mind, she managed to squirm her arms free of May's and pushed the older girl off.

It did no good. May was immediately on her again, pushing Misty back until she was pressed up against the wall.

"Come on, my Seafoam Princess," May said, licking her lips. Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes glazed over with lust. "You need this as much as I do."

"But-" The rest of Misty's protest was cut off when May pressed her mouth against hers. One of May's hands snaked around Misty's front, caressing the bare skin of her midriff, and then slid down to sink her fingers into Misty's rear, while the other glided up Misty's stomach, tracing her fingertips over the slight mounds of her abs, and slipped in under her shirt.

This was bad. Misty could feel herself giving in, could feel the lust haze enveloping her mind. Her tongue was already squirming against May's, her body surrendering to May's touch. If this went on much longer, then she would lose herself completely.

And then…

_At Misty's instruction, May shoved her hand down the front of Misty's shorts, into her underwear, firmly seizing her tingling sex._

May's hands were moving in opposite directions, one going up to push Misty's shirt up over her chest, the maneuvering around Misty's thigh to cup her mound, squeezing her through her shorts.

And then…

_Misty lunged up out of the water, seizing Ash's face with both hands, kissing him deep and kissing him hard._

Their mouths were moving in sync, their tongues twisting through the steps of a well-practiced dance. Misty could taste May's warm saliva, and knew that May could taste hers.

And then…

_With no thought to foreplay or finesse, May went straight for the grand finale, spreading the moistening lips of Misty's cunt and shoving her fingers deep inside._

May's hand tightened over Misty's mound, the pressure and friction causing Misty to nearly melt with desire. Her panties were getting damp with arousal, her clit stiff and throbbing hard.

And then…

_She was so close now. Her quivering entrance was hovering over Ash's cockhead, as eager to receive as he was to give. All she had to do was push herself down over him, and he would be hers, he would be thrusting into her, filling her._

The hand on Misty's groin fumbled around until it managed to undo her shorts' button. From there it seized the zipper and yanked it down, opening Misty up. May's hand then moved inside, pushing Misty's moist panties, giving her access to Misty's aching sex. Just a little bit longer and May would be inside her.

And then…

 _Just as Misty came, just as the orgasm shuddered its way through her body, she felt something_ leave _her, something more than the warm wave of pleasure, something more than her wet arousal now flooding May's palm, but something hot and sparking. Before she knew what it was, she heard May yelp in pain and immediately yank her hand back as if she had been burned._

And then…

_The tip of Ash's cock was pressing up into Misty's swollen, aching pussy, reading to thrust into her just as she had thrust her tongue into him. But as she readied herself for that plunge, Ash abruptly went stiff in her arms, as if something had pricked him. A moment later he went completely slack, slumping lifelessly against her._

"STOP!" Misty yanked her head away from May and shoved hard against her friend's chest with both hands.

May stumbled back, regained her footing, and stood there blinking in surprise, a hurt look on her face.

"Misty?" she said.

"I…" Oh, sweet Mother of Arceus, it was so hard to articulate her thoughts when every bit of her was burning with lust. "I can't! I c-can't risk it!"

"Can't risk _what?_ We do this all the time!"

"Hurting you!" Misty blurted out.

"What," May said flatly.

Misty shook her head, sending hot droplets of sweat flying. "L-Look, I already shocked you once! Remember? In the sleeping bag?" Just bringing that up made the muscles of her groin clench up, as if angrily demanding to know why she had prevented May from touching them again. "And later, with Ash! Clearly I can't be with anyone without hurting them, s-so…"

At this, May gawked openly at her. "Really?" she said. "Really? Is that all?"

"Is that _all?_ May, I almost killed him!"

"I…" May slowly breathed out. "Okay. Right. Sorry. You would be upset about that."

"Uh, you _think?"_

Then a slow, wry smile of amusement tugged at the edges of May's mouth. "But Misty, who do you think you're talking to? I mean, first of all, I can take more than _twice_ what that squishy little boy can…"

"That doesn't mean I want to risk-"

"…and _second,_ good grief, Misty! You don't think I didn't go through the same thing? Who better to teach you how to control yourself so that you don't start blazing up like a sparkler every time you get excited?" May pounded her own chest with her fist. "Me, that's who!"

"I…huh." Misty blinked. That was…actually a very good point.

Sighing, May walked over and placed her hands on Misty's shoulder. Even that small touch was enough to send shivers down Misty's spine. "Look," May said. "We probably should've talked about this way earlier, but I do know how weird and different those first few days are. And I know you're planning on having yourself released once you get home, but until then, I can help you, well…" Her tongue slipped out and slid over her lips. "…come to term with things."

Misty's abdominals clenched up. Oh, she needed this. She needed this so badly. "So. You can teach me how to, um…"

"Cum without toasting your lover? Yup!"

Misty sighed. "Aren't I supposed to be _your_ trainer?"

"And Ash is supposed to be yours! Funny how that worked out."

"Yeah." Misty could help but giggle a bit at the ridiculousness of it all. "Um, funny."

"So." May's grin grew. "Shall I…" She reached up with one hand and flexed her fingers, clawing meaningfully at the air. "…train you?"

"Yes," Misty breathed. "Yes. Yes, absolutely."

May nodded, her grin squeezing into a knowing smirk.

Then she leaned in again to kiss Misty, and this time, Misty kissed her back.

…

" _Hydro Pump!"_ Ash cried as he swung the detachable showerhead around and blasted Yellow with it.

Giggling, Yellow barely dodged the jet of water and leapt into the relative shelter of the other cubicle. She peeked out and blasted at Ash with her own showerhead, forcing him back into the safety of his cubicle.

"You know you can't win!" Yellow called to him. "I'm faster than you, and you're a way bigger target!"

"That just means I can take more hits!" Ash examined the showerhead. There seemed to be different settings, each adjusting the power and focus of the spray. He turned the dial to give him a thin, concentrated jet.

Then he noticed another setting. Hey, was it his imagination, or could he add _soap and shampoo to-_

"Gotcha!" Yellow suddenly leapt right in front of the shower and sprayed Ash right in the face.

Taken off guard, Ash flailed around, dropping the nozzle as his hands went to his face.

It was then that he took note of two thing. Firstly, the water that Yellow was spraying him with was filled with suds.

The second was that his eyes were now stinging.

"Why you _cheater!"_ Ash blindly grabbed for her, but Yellow deftly dodged him and ran laughing away.

"All's fair in love and war!" Yellow called. "And this is _war!"_

Towel, towel, where was the towel? "Spraying me with soap isn't fair at all!"

"You were going to do the same thing to me! I just figured it out first!"

Which, okay, was very true, but Ash was still determined to get revenge.

Finally his hands fell upon the soft fabric of one of the hotel's towels, hanging on a rack on the wall. He grabbed it up and hastily wiped the suds from his face and cleaned out his eyes.

Then Yellow sprayed him again.

In the butt.

Ash froze as his buttcheeks were covered with foam. Then he sighed.

"Okay," he muttered, his grip tightening on the towel. "That's it."

Then he spun around and thrust his towel in front of him. _"Barrier!"_

Yellow cackled as the towel was quickly soaked with water and suds. "Oh, what's that gonna do? You really think you can stop me with-"

Ash suddenly spun the towel around and around, keeping the ends gripped tight, until it had constricted into a tight cord.

"-uh…"

Ash smacked his new whip against his palm and grinned fiendishly.

"Yipe!"

…

Curled up on one of the mats, Chuey looked first to one bathroom, and then the other. It sighed.

Out of one, Yellow and Ash were yelling, laughing, whooping, and splashing. There was also the sound of something that resembled a…vine whip? The heck?

And out of the other, moans, groans, and sharp cries of pleasure were emitting.

"Pika," Chuey breathed out in agitation. They were just supposed to be getting clean. _They were just supposed to be getting clean!_

Humans. Why were they so _weird?_

…

Shivering with anticipation, need, and good old-fashioned nerves, Misty sat down on the bench in the middle of the floor. Her fingers gripped the edge so tight that her knuckles were turning white. There was a catch to her breathing, one that was making each breath shudder.

She and May had both stripped down and dumped their clothing for cleaning, and now Misty was waiting for May to show her how to cum properly as a PokeGirl.

What she didn't understand why she was so nervous.

She and May had had sex _many_ times before, both before and after May had convinced Misty to catch her. And even when they weren't banging each other like a pair of Persians in heat, they often were feeling each other up, groping one another, making out, and sticking their hands under each other's' clothes to play with whatever they felt like. Granted, the last time they really had a go at one another had been quite some time ago, before Misty had even been caught. The closest they've had since was when May had fingered her that one night, and the occasional groping session. So this really was the first time they were going to make love as a pair of PokeGirls. The experience was said to be euphoric.

So why the nerves? She'd ought to be excited, but here she was, trembling like a blushing virgin, something she hadn't been since that one night in May's bedroom

 _Maybe that's it,_ Misty thought as she self-consciously hugged her arms around herself. _This is just reminding me of that one night. May is showing me something new, so it's bringing it all back. Just a, um, an erotic memory, and…"_

Misty's groin suddenly clenched, and she winced as the erotic tingles surged through her. When she looked down, she saw the small puddle forming around her pussy on the stool.

"Nice to see you're all ready for me," May remarked as she walked up behind Misty. "But that's gonna be a problem. So, you should probably take care of that first."

Misty looked over her shoulder in disbelief. "Huh?"

May was standing there in all her pubescent glory, one hand on her hip while the other was holding onto a shower nozzle, the cord trailing to one of the cubicles. "You're so stoppered up that you'll probably pop off the second I touch you," May said, giving the nozzle a short spray in demonstration. "That won't do. So let's get that out of the way first."

Misty stared. "You can't be serious."

"Never moreso! Get with the schlicking and rub one out!" She stuck her free hand onto her own pussy, fingers spreading the lips in demonstration, exposing her pink insides.

"But the whole point of all this was-"

May impatiently motioned with the shower nozzle she was holding. "Working back up is going to be easy, _and_ we'll have a better time controlling it. The one you've been saving up? Not so much."

Well, fine. Sighing, Misty spread her legs and reached down to touch her hand to her burning sex. This time, she would have to do it quickly, so-

"Ah!"

Almost immediately she felt the orgasm surge out from within her. Her back arched, and hot arousal squirted all over her fingers.

"Yeah, definitely saw sparks there," May remarked as Misty struggled to regain her wits.

Misty shook her head. "I know. That's the problem, remember?"

"So let's get started then!" Humming to herself, May knelt down behind Misty. The muscles in Misty's back tightened in anticipation of May's touch.

But instead of reaching around to grab at Misty's crotch or nipples like she normally did, May merely sprayed warm, sudsy water over Misty's back. Then she started to scrub her upper shoulders with a soft washcloth.

"Uh, May?" Misty glanced over her shoulder. "What are you doing?"

"What's it look like?" May said. "I'm washing your back!"

"I…Okay, but I thought you were going to teach me how to control my orgasms!"

May giggled. "There's a sentence I bet you never thought you'd say. And come on. You're cute, but you're also all slimy and smell funny."

In answer, Misty glowered at her, and lifted a fist. Electricity crackled around the knuckles.

"Relax, I do too! That's the whole point. If we're going to have some fun, wouldn't make sense to get clean first? I thought you were looking forward to a hot bath."

Well, when she put it like _that._ Misty dropped her fist and let May do her work.

Actually, it was pretty nice. She had been walking around with a lot of pent-up tension for the last few days, and the warm water and May's gentle scrubbing felt really good. She sighed and relaxed, her shoulders slouching forward.

Then she felt two small, hard nubs poke her in the back, followed by the squishing of soft, warm flesh.

Misty cranked an eye open. May was leaning her body up against Misty's back, her two budding breasts pressing into her shoulders blades.

"Is this your idea of getting clean?" Misty muttered.

May began to rise up and down, rubbing herself against Misty. "In a very dirty way."

"I think you need to look the word up in a dictionary."

Then May rested her chin onto Misty's shoulder. "I am nothing but a walking contradiction," she murmured into Misty's ear, right before tilting her head and taking soft, delicate nibbles of the lobe.

This time, Misty didn't have any kind of witty comeback. She just closed her eyes and let succumbed to the erotic feel of May's touch.

May's right hand reached across Misty's chest to grab a big handful of the flesh around her left nipple, squeezing what one day would grow into her breasts. Meanwhile, she traced the fingers of her left hand down Misty's side and over the curve of her rear, taking the time to give the cheek a small, affectionate squeeze.

Then she reached in between Misty's legs and seized her swollen, burning mound.

"Okay, Misty," May said in a soft voice as Misty squirmed and mewled in her grasp. "I'm going to make you cum again. And when I do, I need you to do something for me. When the orgasm comes, you'll feel your power riding it out, and you'll want to fight it." The fingers digging into Misty's lower lips suddenly tightened, making her inhale sharply through her teeth. "But _don't._ Don't fight it, but don't push it out either. Instead, imagine dipping your hand into that power, and instead of pushing it out or in, divert it back into you. Just let it burn through you."

"W-What?" Misty stammered. "What are you-"

May's fingers went to work and they did so fast. She was intimately familiar with the shape of the younger tomboy's pussy, both inside and out, and knew how to make her melt. Misty's back arched in ecstasy, her eyes rolled back, and she bit down hard on her lower lip.

"Ride it out," May said as both of her hands continued to dig into Misty's sensitive areas. "It's going to come up soon. Own it. It's yours. Let it know that."

And it was definitely coming up. Despite having just came, Misty could feel it rising up deep within her once more, like a hungry beast venturing out of its den, summoned by the fingers probing her entrance and insides. A few more seconds, and it would erupt forth.

And that terrified her. If she just let the orgasm rip its way out of her now, then May would be hurt. She didn't know how to control it yet, and May's instructions were both confusing and distracting!

Okay, she had to let it burn through…no, that was _May's_ way of seeing it! May was all about fire, but Misty was different!

She pictured a roaring flood storming down an otherwise peaceful river, heading toward a sheer cliff. Okay, damming it up wouldn't work, and neither would letting it thunder over the edge to crash down below. Instead, she needed to _divert_ the flow, to create another channel and loop the raging waters back.

In her mind's eye, she saw a giant representation of her hand descend from the heavens to dig into the earth, blocking off the river's path and carving out a new channel, one that looped back around. That should do it, that should do-

And then she came, a monstrous orgasm tearing its way out of her so hard that it was almost painful. Misty threw her head back and screamed as her young body was physically rocked by the beautiful agony surging out from her core.

Wave after wave crested through her, until it finally subsided. Misty slumped forward like a marionette with its strings cut, with everything from her arms to her shoulders to her back trembling from exertion.

Then she tipped to one side and slipped off the stool onto the slick tiles of the bathroom floor. There she lay as the world swam around her.

When it finally slowed, she muttered, "Ow."

Then she heard a sigh.

Cranking one eye open, she saw May standing over her with her arms folded, head shaking in disappointment.

"It d-didn't work?" Misty asked in a hoarse whisper.

"You lit up like an exploding Electrode. So…no."

Grabbing handfuls of her orange hair with both hands, Misty curled up with an exasperated groan. "I don't know how to do it! I tried, but it didn't work!"

May shrugged. "Well, if at first you don't succeed…" She then walked over to the stool Misty had fallen off of and sat down.

The next thing Misty knew, May had reached down and grabbed her from behind by the armpits. Hoisting her limp body up, May gathered her into her lap and wrapped her arms around Misty's waist.

"Hey!" Misty cried. "What do you think you're doing?"

"What's it look like?" May said, resting her chin in it customary place on Misty's shoulder. "People don't usually get it on their first try, so…" Her hand glided down to cup Misty's mound.

"H-Hold on!" Misty protested. She tried to squirm out of May's hands, but she didn't have the strength. "I don't-"

May's hand went to work, kneading the moist petals of Misty's flower. "The fire's going to rise again. Are you just going to let it have its way with you?"

"Not…Mmmmf!" Misty's body arched back into May's. However, that just meant that May had an easy time reaching up to grab Misty's nipple again. "Not fire! Nothing about me is fire!"

"Picture it however you want," May said as she nuzzled Misty's neck. "But it is going to come back to challenge you again. Make it your bitch."

"Watch your language," Misty muttered. But okay. The flood was returning, so reroute the river, reroute the river, reroute the river.

She couldn't reroute the river. Again she came hard and painfully, and again May had to jerk her hand away before they were caught by the arching yellow sparks.

"Gah!" Misty collapsed bonelessly, sliding off May's lap down between her legs. There she lay, arms draped over May's thighs and her head resting back against May's belly.

"Relax," May said as she affectionately tousled Misty's disheveled hair. "You'll get it in time."

"S-Screw you," Misty muttered. "This is pointless. I'm never going to get it."

"Hmmm." May shook her head and tsked. "Well then, I guess there's only one thing to do."

"H-Huh?" Misty stammered. "What are-"

May suddenly sat up, which dumped the unprepared Misty onto the floor. Kneeling down, she again scooped Misty back up and pushed her back onto the stool.

"Huh?" Misty said. "May, what's this all about?"

Then May knelt down in front of Misty.

"May?"

Her eyes half-lidded in determination and desire, May leaned forward, pressing her face in between Misty's legs. "Thanks for the meal," she muttered.

"May!"

May reached around to grab onto both of Misty's ass cheeks, holding her in place. Her slick tongue probed forward, slurping at the juices still seeping from Misty's entrance. Misty's sex was still aching from how powerful and chaotic that last orgasm had been. She was breathing through her nose, her warm breath tingling against the younger girl's tingling clitoris.

"May, wait!"

Misty seized May's head with both hands and tried to push her away, but May wouldn't budge. She paused long enough to glance up at her terrified friend.

"I guess you're gonna have to figure this out," May said in a deep, husky voice. "Because when it comes…when _you_ cum, I'm _not_ pulling my face out."

Then she lowered her head and went back to work, licking, kissing, and nipping at the sore, dripping folds.

Misty was in a panic. It was clear that May was determined to go through with this, and it wouldn't be long before she brought Misty to another electrifying orgasm. And that would only hurt her! What was wrong with her? What kind of point was she trying to prove?

The ache inside of Misty's core was again growing, both hurting and feeling absolutely fantastic. Misty tried to fight it off, tried to push it away, but May's tongue was far too skillful. She knew exactly how Misty like to be pleasured. It probed deep into her channel, lapping at her inner walls in a manner that would have left Misty lying breathless if she weren't so scared.

_Focus, focus, Misty! You have to control this! It's rising up, so you need to reroute the river before the flood-_

Wait.

It wasn't a river, was it? Misty didn't have a river any more than she had May's raging fire. That had been stolen from her.

She didn't need to reroute the river or divert the flood. She needed…

_It was coming up. The inner muscles of her sex were clenching hard in preparation for the orgasmic eruption._

…she needed…

_Every hair on Misty's body stood up, and she felt crackling power building within her gut._

…she needed to…

_It was surging up now, ready to be unleashed, ready to tear out of her with as much violence as the last one had._

…needed to _complete the circuit._

Right before all of that pent-up power surged out of her into May's mouth, Misty saw what looked like a sparkling electrical grid, one routing all the way through her body, connecting everything in a vast, glowing network. And sure enough, right there in her groin were a pair of loose wires.

She saw the bolts of electricity shooting down the grid, heading for those two disconnected circuits. In her mind's eye, she reached down and took them by the ends, and right before all that power shot free, connected the two together.

And when she did, it was like something just clicked into place, something that lay nestled deep inside of her.

She came once again, the orgasm just as strong as the others. However, this time the surge of power didn't travel with it, but instead seemed to bounce back the way it came, carrying the pleasure with it and diffusing it throughout Misty's body. She lurched forward with a cry as each sweet spark zapped through her before finally slumping forward when it finally petered out.

With a pleased sigh, Misty straightened up, her mouth smeared with Misty's arousal. She licked her lips and wiped the excess off with the back of her wrist. "Mmmm," she hummed. "I guess you figured it out-"

Misty lurched up and gave May a rough, clumsy shove.

May stumbled back. Then her foot slipped on the slick tile, and she fell on her butt. Misty tackled her the rest of the way down before she could rise.

"You _idiot!"_ Misty cried as she hammered down on May's back and shoulders with her fists. "You stupid _idiot!_ How could you scare me like that? I could've hurt you, or _worse!"_

"Easy! Easy!" May grabbed Misty by the wrists and wrestled her arms down. "Red, chill!"

"No!" Angry tears were flowing free down Misty's cheeks. "Do you have any idea how much you frightened me? What if I had zapped you down your _throat?_ What would you have done then, huh?"

"But you didn't! I knew you were going to figure it out, so-"

"So you thought that you'd just set things up so I'd hurt my best friend if I couldn't?" Misty roughly shoved May off of her and turned away. "I've never been so scared in my life!"

Fat, glistening tears continued to draw trails down Misty's face. Wrapping her arms around her, she cried in big, choking sobs, letting loose all of her pent-up anger, frustration and resentment, and she had a _lot_ of all.

Then she felt May's warm hand on her shoulder. She considered shaking it off, but she didn't.

A moment later May wrapped her arms around Misty from behind and leaned into to her. "I'm sorry, Red," May whispered. "I didn't realize that it would be that scary for you."

Misty breathed out through clenched teeth. "Well, it was! And now I'm sore, I'm shaking, I'm crying, and…" Oh, darn it! "…and I'm _still_ horny! Even after all that I'm still horny! I hate being a PokeGirl!"

"Okay," May sighed. "Do you…want to stop?"

Misty almost said yet. She almost demanded that they just finish cleaning up as fast as possible so she could put her clothes back on and go take a nap.

But she didn't, because something had just occurred to her.

"S-So," she said. "That st-tupid lesson of yours worked, right? I'm not going to accidentally zap people every time I cum, right?"

"Right," May said, nodding. "That whole business should be stabilized."

"Okay," Misty said. "Good."

Then she turned and gave May a hard shove, sending her sprawling onto her back.

The older girl stared up, blue eyes blinking in surprise. Hovering above her was Misty, who was now straddling May's thighs with her hands pressing down on May's shoulders, holding her down.

May bared her teeth in a somewhat manic smile. "You just scared the ever-loving _daylights_ out of me," she hissed. She leaned in close so that their noses were practically touching. "So now you're going to make it up to me."

…

The war might have gone on longer, but then Ash managed to whip Yellow's knee hard enough to leave a mark. That was when they had decided to call it off before things escalated further, Ash had apologized, and they settled back to cleaning days of grime off.

And _oh_ that had felt good. It stung, yes, as their skin was still raw and tender, but it was a good kind of hurt, like pulling off a scab. Ash was pretty sure he lost an entire layer of dead skin from his scrubbing.

But there was one last step. The doctors had given them both a special kind of lotion for their still-healing skin, and had made it clear that they were to rub it in all over three times a day. May had already lotioned them both with the over-the-counter stuff that morning, so that meant that they had to do it two more times.

And since May was currently…occupied, that meant that they were left with only each other.

Just as well.

Yellow sat on a low, wooden stool while Ash crouched behind her, gently kneading the lotion into her shoulders and back. It wasn't as awkward as he would have thought. The ice had already been broken, so now it just felt sort of normal.

Normal. Yeah. He and Yellow had grown up together, fell apart, and only just reconciled, and now here they were, rubbing lotion onto each other's naked bodies while their friends had loud and passionate sex in the next room over. It was somewhat telling that only a few days into his Pokemon adventure, the most normal part ended up being the Pokemon themselves.

Then he remembered Tangela. Nope, nothing about how this was going was normal.

"Hey, Ash?" Yellow said as Ash gently massaged her shoulder-blades, which were poking out by quite a lot. He really hoped she didn't just end up withering away while in the wild. "Can I ask you something?"

Ash paused for a second, and then shrugged. "Sure, I guess," he said as he resumed rubbing.

"What is going on between you and the other two?"

"Huh?"

Her head bowed, Yellow nervously fidgeted. "Well, it's clear that both Misty and May like you a lot, and you like them, right?"

"Er, you mean as friends? Of course I do!"

"No, Ash," Yellow sighed. "You know what I mean."

This time the pause was longer. Then Ash sighed. "Yeah, I do."

"And you said Misty was about to rub your penis right before the Tangela attacked, right?"

Ash winced. "So?"

"And May _really_ likes feeling you up, right?"

"May likes feeling _everybody_ up! You of all people should know that!"

At this, Yellow smiled. "Okay, but she really enjoys touching you."

"Well, maybe. What's your point?"

"So why haven't any of you, you know, _done_ it yet? I mean, you like Misty, she likes you. You like May, and she likes you. And we already know that they've been doing each other for a while now. Why'd it suddenly get all awkward and nobody wants to actually do anything anymore?"

At this, Ash couldn't help but sigh. "That's, uh, really complicated."

"Is it because of me? Is it because I'm here?"

Ash shook his head. "No, it's not you." He finished up with Yellow's back and shoulders and held the lotion tube out over to her. "Here."

Yellow looked down at the offered tube in confusion. "What's that for?"

"Uh, so you can do your front?"

"I thought you were going to do it."

Ash blinked. "Are you serious?"

"Why not?" Yellow scooted around on the stool so that she was facing him. Bracing her hands on the edges, she leaned back ever so slightly, presenting her front to him. "May always did the whole thing. And so did the doctor! I thought that's just how it goes."

Despite knowing Yellow his whole life, Ash honestly couldn't tell when she was being innocently naïve or teasing him. She didn't seem like she was trying to mess around with him. Heck, maybe she truly didn't think it was a big deal.

Oh, whatever. If she wasn't going to make a big deal about it, then neither would he. "Fine, just don't make any weird noises," Ash said as he squirted more lotion into his palm.

Yellow silently watched him as he reached out with one slightly shaking hand and laid it on her slender shoulder. He gently ran it over her collarbone, rubbing the lotion in, before dipping down to pass over her smooth chest.

"So…?" Yellow said.

Man, she really was bony. And it wasn't like she never ate. Heck, she probably had the biggest appetite of anyone Ash ever knew. Maybe that was why she had so much energy. Her body just burned it all so quickly. "What?"

"What's so complicated about it?"

Ash moved down from Yellow's chest to her belly. "Oh, that." He shrugged. "Okay, well, that was actually going to happen the day before we ran into you, but then Misty found out that she wasn't a water type like she wanted."

"Yeah, she's really upset about that, isn't she?"

"Yeah." Ash squeezed more lotion into his palm, lathered it up, and got to work on Yellow's legs. "Well, you know how that changed her mind about being a PokeGirl?"

Yellow lifted her leg so Ash could get to the bottom of her foot. "Uh-huh."

"Well, that was kind of a big blow, so I think it just made her give up on the idea on being a PokeGirl entirely. Along with everything about it."

"You mean the sex?"

It was still a little weird to be frankly talking about sex with Yellow, but they were both naked and he was rubbing her down, so what really counted as weird anymore? "Yeah," he sighed. "That." His fingers slid up Yellow's thigh, though the stopped short of reaching her groin. He finished rubbing the lotion into her hip before switching legs.

"Wasn't she about to do all that with you before Tangela attacked?"

Ash's hands gliding over the back of her calf, kneading the lotion into her damaged skin. "Yeah, but I think that since Tangela went after her because she's a PokeGirl, and since her powers couldn't do anything to it, that was like, you know, the last straw." He finished up with her other hip. "There." He handed her the bottle. "You can do the rest yourself."

He turned his back to her to give her at least a little privacy, and this time she didn't make an issue out of it.

After a few moments she said, "Okay, your turn."

She had gotten off the stool, so Ash sat down in her place. He paused a moment before settling in, noting how warm the stool was. Shaking his head, he lowered himself all the way down.

Behind him, he heard the squirt of the lotion bottle, then the squishing sounds of Yellow rubbing it into both palms. A moment later her tiny, cool palms laid themselves on his back.

It…well, she didn't have the perverse glee of May's near-groping, nor the doctor's professional, yet forceful touch. Instead, the feel of Yellow's hands was…sweet. Comforting. Granted, he had just gotten done slowing off what felt like an entire layer of dead skin along with all the dirt and grime from the forest, so it still stung a little, but in a wholesome sort of way.

"I still don't get it," Yellow said as she kneaded her thumbs into the flesh around Ash's spine. "I mean, okay, if she doesn't want to be a PokeGirl, then fine. But why does that mean not having any fun with you?"

Ash shrugged.

"And if she wants to get released so badly, why not have you do it here, instead of waiting all the way at Cerulean City?"

"I…" Ash frowned. That was a good point. "I don't know. Maybe she figures that electric powers might be handy in Mt. Moon?"

"So she'll keep the part that she hates for a bit but not do the part that's really fun?"

"Well, I never said it made any sense," Ash said. "All I know is, if she doesn't want to, then she doesn't want to. What am I going to do, make her?"

"Well, you _could._ You're her trainer, after all."

The thought of _that_ made Ash's face twist up in disgust.

"Sorry," Yellow said after a bit. "I guess that would be kind of gross."

"Yeah. It would."

Yellow silently finished up with Ash's back. Then she walked around him and knelt down in front of him. Ash tried not to stare down at her, nor think about how he had a naked girl kneeling in front of him, nor how easy it would be to open his legs and invite her to do…well, stuff.

"So what about May?" she asked as she got to work on Ash's arms. "I mean, she loves being a PokeGirl, and she clearly wants to do it with you. Heck, she fingered _me_ right after meeting me. Why not do it with her?"

Ash bit his lower lip as he tried to put his many thoughts into words. He had spent the last few days mulling on that very subject, but it was hard to articulate really what he thought. "I think…" he said slowly, "that since she's really into the whole PokeGirl thing, and since I'm Misty's trainer, she figures that means Misty gets first dibs, so she's not going to do _that_ before Misty does."

Yellow's hand moved down to Ash's chest. "She'll do other things, though."

Ash's mind flashed back to that one morning, when he had woken up to find a naked May snuggled up to him, and everything that had happened right after that. "Yes, she will."

"Doesn't that bother you, though? I mean, after all that, and they won't even…"

"Er…" Ash scratched his temple. "You know, maybe a little at first? I guess? But you know what? I didn't want to become a trainer because of the girls. I wanted to become a trainer because I wanted to train _Pokemon._ And I get to do that now! I have two Pokemon already, I'm going to be challenging for my first badge soon, and honestly, that's all I really want. So sure, if _that_ happens, then awesome! But it wasn't what I was looking for in the first place, so I'm fine with it."

"Hmmm." Yellow pursed her lips as she got to work on Ash's right leg. "But you're still unhappy about them leaving."

"Yeah," Ash admitted after a beat. "I am."

"And I'm leaving soon too. You'll be by yourself."

"Well, no, I won't be. I'll have Nidoran and… _hopefully_ Tangela and I will be getting along by then, plus whatever other Pokemon I'll have caught. But…" He shrugged. "Yeah. I kind of wish you all were coming with me."

"Sorry."

"Hey, don't be! You have your journey, and I have mine! I'll be fine!"

Yellow silently finished lotioning up Ash's legs. Then she sat back on her haunches and looked down at the space between his legs with one eyebrow askew.

Though Ash hadn't really been bothered by her seeing him so far, the way she was looking at him now was making him a little uncomfortable. "Um, could you _not?"_ he said, covering his crotch and turning away. His penis wasn't exactly stiff in his hands, but it was getting there.

Shaking her head, Yellow tossed the lotion bottle to him. "Here," she said. "Unless you want me to do the rest."

"Yeah, I got it," Ash muttered. "Now turn around."

…

Misty was tired. She was frazzled, she was a little loopy, and she was still a little cross with May.

The last few days had been nothing short of exhausting, and the last few minutes even moreso. She was still shaking from the aftereffects of _three_ gargantuan orgasms, still getting over a really bad scare, and was kind of giddy with her newfound control. All in all, it was a heady, almost intoxicating state of mind she found herself in.

And she was going to take it _all_ out on May.

May lay flat on her back, with Misty hovering over her. The two underaged PokeGirls locked eyes for a long time, both of them breathing hard, and then May smirked.

"Well?" she said. "I just heard a lot of tough talk coming from a rookie. You gonna back those words up or-"

Misty held up the shower nozzle.

"-oh!"

Then she covered May's nude body with a spray of hot water and soapy suds.

May's relationship with water was…complicated. It was her natural weakness, after all. Sure, she could still drink water without ill effects or take some on her bare skin without too much trouble, but the more exposure she endured, and the colder it was, the more her strength was sapped, and the more susceptible to hurt she became. So she avoided it as much as she could. She didn't take showers or baths, preferring simple sponge baths with washcloths. She didn't go swimming, something that Misty found very tragic.

And yet, ever since that one day after May's pyromaniac escapades had gotten them stranded one too many times, and Misty had had it up to _here_ with May's constant attempts to goad her, she had finally snapped and shoved her hard. That shouldn't have done anything, but May had lost her balance and fallen into the nearby lake.

Misty had been terrified. May was a fire-type, after all! Had she just accidentally killed her best friend?

But as it turned out, once Misty had hauled her back onto shore, May wasn't really _hurt,_ per se, but she had been weakened considerably, barely able to sit up, much less stand. She was fine, but she couldn't exactly ward off anything anyone might want to do to her.

So in response, Misty had screwed her so hard and so long that even after the water's affects had worn off, May had still needed over an hour before she was able to move her legs again.

Their relationship had taken an unexpected turn that day. Sure, May was the older and more sexually aggressive of the two, but Misty was her trainer, and that meant that she was the one calling the shots, something that May was entirely too happy to let her do.

Also, as paradoxical as it sounded, it also meant that May had developed a weird erotic association with water. They didn't make use of it often, but when they did, it meant that Misty was in the mood to dominate the kinky twelve-year-old, and May was all too happy to submit to her mistress.

Misty cut off the water spray and lowered the nozzle. "You dirty, _naughty_ girl," she growled as she cleared the suds away from May's face. May's cheeks were flushed, her eyes blank and unfocused, and she was panting heavily. "You know you're going to pay for that."

"Y-Yes," May stuttered.

Misty lowered her body onto May's, enjoying the feel of her friend's skin quivering beneath her, how their nipples pressed into each other as May's small breasts squished into Misty's smooth chest. May's legs flopped weakly to either side as Misty's thighs came down onto hers, their moist little buds making contact.

Misty seized both of May's arms by the wrists and pulled them up over her head, her hard stare boring into May's hazy gaze. With a low growl she pressed her mouth onto May's, shoving her tongue through May's teeth and wrangling the same tongue that had just put her through all that worry. May whimpered but didn't resist. Even if she wanted to, she _couldn't_ , and she definitely didn't want to.

As Misty continued to aggressively make out with May, her hips started moving, sliding her lower lips over May's. She felt the hard nub of her clit glide through the crevice of May's slit.

Still holding onto May's wrists, Misty moved away from May's mouth and started pushing her body back and forth, rubbing herself against May's slick skin, their erect clitorises kissing each other each time they passed.

Then Misty sat up. Releasing May's wrists, she slid her right leg under May's while grabbing onto May's left and hoisting it up so that it draped over her shoulder. She then pressed her swollen sex against her dazed and weakened lover's. Her hips began to move, grinding their pussies together.

"Don't you forget, no matter what happens, you're _my_ PokeGirl," Misty said as May's back arched and she cried out helplessly. "So don't get cocky. _I'm_ calling the shots, and you belong to _me!"_

"Yes," May gasped as her upper body jerked back and forth in time with Misty's thrusting. "Yes!"

"Say it," Misty commanded. "I want to hear you say it!"

"I…" May's eyes were beginning to roll back. "I belong to _you!_ I belong to you, Mistress! I am your property! Use me! Use me however you want!"

Grinning, Misty stopped her thrusting to leer down at the weak and panting brunette. May was quite the delicious sight. Baby-blue eyes dazed and unfocused, cheeks flushed with lust, pink tongue hanging out of her mouth as she panted for air, the rosy tips of her nipples standing hard and erect on top of the soft mounds of her young breasts, her flawless skin shimmering with soap, sweat, and other fluids.

"Good girl," Misty purred, and then slid her hips back ever so much, putting a small amount of space between their moist cunts.

Just so she could shove two fingers straight into May's entrance.

May's back again arched and she let out a strangled-sounding scream. Misty started rubbing up against May's sex again, all the while pumping her with her fingers, digging the tips into May's inner walls. She could see May's abdominals contracting in response to her every touch, while May's hands frantically grabbed at the floor at either side of her, clawing at the tiles for anything she could seize onto.

"That's… _right,"_ Misty growled as May's shaking grew stronger. She pressed her face against May's bare leg and slowly drew her tongue up its side. "You're _mine!_ A-And d-d-don't you for-for-for _get_ it!"

When May came, she did so like a volcano. Her whole body went utterly stiff, and flesh around Misty's fingers clenched down hard. She made a sound like a teakettle being brought to boil as actual steam gushed out of her nose.

A moment later hot fluid shot out around May's fingers, dousing her up to her wrist. With a soft groan, May went limp.

But Misty wasn't done. Though she removed her hand, she just kept humping May harder, shoving their slick and aching pussies together, driving herself into May with such force that even May's small breasts were shaking.

"Almost there," Misty groaned. "Almost there…"

And then she came as well. It wasn't the painful eruption as before or even the pleasurable surge when she finally figured out how to center herself. But it still felt _damn_ good.

Still holding onto May's leg, she jerked once, and then twice, riding out the aftershocks. Then, finally satisfied, she released May's leg and let it fall.

A moment later she fell as well, collapsing exhausted right onto May.

Neither of them moved. Neither of them _wanted_ to move. Misty felt like hot foam had been blasted right into her brain, dissolving her thoughts, and now all she felt like doing was lie still on the soft and warm pillow May's body provided.

In time sensation began to return. She was able to slow her breathing, gain better control of her thoughts. Every bit of her ached, especially the spot in between her legs.

She blinked her eyes. The muddled mess of color before her came into focus, and she saw May's face on level with her own, staring back at her.

May smiled, and then moved her head in to kiss Misty softly on the lips. "Well," she breathed. "Was it good for you?"

Misty sighed, but nodded.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Misty licked the inside of her mouth, moistening it up so she could speak. "Not really," she muttered.

"I'm sorry I scared you."

"'Kay." More feeling was returning to Misty's body, enough for her to start making small movements again. She gingerly slid her arms around May's body and held her close, enjoying her warmth.

After a few moments went by May said, "Um, Red?"

"Hmmm?"

"We kinda made a mess of ourselves.

"Hmmm."

"So, we should…clean up?"

Misty sighed. "Okay," she groaned, and then sat up.

It was a struggle. She still ached, and she felt tired, worn out, but she managed to get vertical again. Of course May had an easier time of it. She was more used to having a PokeGirl's overwhelming orgasms. Plus, she had only come once.

"Wow," May breathed. "That had been…something else, huh?"

"Yup," Misty nodded. She spread her legs and looked down at her pussy. Her labia was red and swollen. "It really was."

Smiling, May draped her arms around Misty's shoulders and leaned into her. "Kind of like losing your virginity all over again, wasn't it?"

At this, Misty slowly breathed out. "May. Look. I know you were hoping that giving me these mind-blowing orgasms would make me change my mind about getting released, but I still don't want to stay a PokeGirl, okay?"

There was a pause, and then May sighed in disappointment. "I know," she said. "But that just means we should enjoy you being this sensitive while we can."

"Mmmm. Okay, that sounds fair." Misty turned her head and kissed May again.

Then May groped around the wet tiles until she found where the shower nozzle had fallen, and the two girls gently sprayed each other with the warm suds, cleaning each other's bodies.

…

It wasn't that Ash and Yellow _intended_ to listen on Misty and May's…activities. If they wanted privacy, then they were entitled to it! It was nobody's business other than their own, so they ought to be left alone with no interruptions!

But the more they got into it, the harder it became to ignore. The walls between the bathrooms weren't that thick, and while normal conversation wouldn't carry, from the sound of things they were having a _really_ good time.

Ash and Yellow tried to ignore it, they really did. But as they waited for their clothes to be made ready for them, the pleasured moans and sharp cries were hard to put out of their minds.

Then Misty let out a long, drawn-out cry. Ash glanced over to Yellow, who looked back at him. Then, without saying anything, they both silently got up and walked over to the wall, knelt down, and pressed their ears against it.

"Wow," Yellow whispered. "They sound like they're having fun."

"Yeah," Ash agreed. He could picture them right now, rubbing their naked bodies all over one another, fingers poking and prodding and squeezing and groping. "They are."

"Yeah, I can tell you're enjoying this."

"What?" Then Ash glanced down and realized what he meant. He scowled. "Oh, come on! Are you going to point out every time I get an erection?"

"Well, you are."

"So what?" Ash grumbled. He was done getting embarrassed about it. "It's perfectly normal!"

Then he took notice of something, a glimmer of moisture between Yellow's legs and on the sides of her thighs. "And you are too!" He pointed. "Look!"

Yellow glanced down, and then smiled. "I guess you're right. But it is hot."

That it most certainly was. Ash pressed his ear harder up against the wall so as to hear better.

Then Ash heard a soft, almost whispered sigh, only this hadn't come from the other side of the wall, but instead right next to him.

He looked down, and his eyes went wide. Yellow had sat down with her back against the wall, skinny legs splayed to either side and knees up, toes curled. One hand was nestled down between her legs, fingers working while the other was pinching one of her nipples. Her eyes were closed, her cheeks flushed, and she was letting out cute little sighs.

Ash's jaw dropped. "Really?" he said. _"Really?_ You're just going to start masturbating right here, with me still here?"

Yellow didn't so much as open her eyes. "Ash," she muttered as she continued massage her vaginal folds. "After the last few days, does it _really_ matter?"

Had Yellow always been this shameless? Well, yes, but that had been about other things. Maybe it was May. Maybe she just infected those that she came in contact with perversion.

Ash considered just grabbing his clothes and leaving the room. He had put up with a _lot_ of perverted girls doing perverted things over the last few days, and there had to be some kind of limit! Besides, it was Yellow! It was weird!

But really, she did have a point. He had not only crossed over the line of what he had thought he was capable of tolerating a week ago so many times that he could probably play jump-rope with the line, but every new day seemed to plow him further and further. And this point, why not? Why the heck not?

Fine.

Leaning his back against the wall, Ash slid down to the floor. He spread his legs and looked down at his cock, standing up straight and stiff.

 _I,_ Ash thought as he wrapped one hand around it, _cannot believe I am about to do this. I just masturbated for the first time a few days ago. Now I'm doing it right next to Yellow, and she's doing it right next to me. How in the_ world _did this happen, and just how crazier are things going to get before-_

Then a small, soft hand laid itself on his knee.

"Huh?" Ash looked over to see Yellow grinning at him.

"Hey," she said. "I got an idea. Wanna do it to each other?"

Ash choked. All of his new, belligerent acceptance of how weird and perverse things were now evaporated, and he was back to being freaked out. Not even May's fiendish offer to have the two of them jack off to each other had been this daring.

"Are you _serious?"_ he managed to squeak out.

Yellow looked the two of them over. "Ash, we're both naked, listening to our friends have sex, and are about to masturbate side-by-side. Honestly, why not?"

"Because…Because it's you!"

A hurt look passed over Yellow's face.

"Not like that!" Ash hastily corrected. "I mean, you're like my little sister! It'd be weird!"

At this, Yellow look gave him a look. "Ash. We literally just rubbed each other down naked. Besides, how many brothers masturbate right next to their little sisters?"

Actually, according to some of Gary's DVD's, more than one might think, though Ash supposed that wasn't an accurate representation of a normal sibling relationship.

Then Yellow moved her hand to Ash's arm. "Come on," she said. "It's just for fun. Let's see what happens."

Ash slowly breathed out. Wow, okay, this was definitely something that never could leave the room. "This…doesn't mean anything, right? You get that, right?"

"What, between you and me? Of course! It's not like I want to date you or anything, I'm just curious."

Ash eyed her in uncertainty.

"If it makes it easier, just pretend that I'm Misty, and I'll pretend that you're May!" Yellow suggested.

"That's…" Ash sighed. "Yellow, are you sure you want to do this?"

"Eh." Yellow shrugged. "I mean, if you don't want to, then fine. But like I said, I am kind of curious."

Honestly, Ash kind of was as well. "Fine," he mumbled. "At this point, we might as well, I guess."

He reluctantly unwrapped his fingers from his penis and tried not to wince as Yellow's tiny hand reached over. There was a second of hesitation, as if she were also working up the nerves, and then she wrapped her own fingers around the shaft.

Ash had to bite down hard to keep the reflexive gasp from escaping.

"Okay, this is weird," Yellow muttered as she quizzically studied the throbbing rod in her hand. "So…I go up and down, right?"

"Right," Ash said. "But-" Then he winced. "Ah! Slow, slow! And ease up on the grip, I'm still tender!"

"Oh, sorry!"

After a few seconds, Ash sighed. "You could…squeeze just a little harder." At this point Yellow was barely making contact at all.

"Make up your mind," Yellow sighed, but she did bring her hands in closer.

"There, that's good," Ash breathed. "Now…slow, but n-not too slow."

"Picky, picky." Yellow's hand pumped up and down. It was still weirdly methodical, but it was probably as good as Ash was going to get from her. And it did feel really good. Not as good as when Misty did it, but still better than doing it to himself. And at least it didn't hurt as much this time.

 _Actually, I kind of miss the hurt,_ Ash found himself reflecting. _It did add a little something to it…_

"Ash, this is a two-person job, remember?"

"Oh, um, right. So…what do you want me too…"

Yellow's free hand stretched out and gently took Ash's right arm by the wrist and drew it in between her legs. Ash's back tightened when his fingers brushed against her moist flower.

"Okay, so, I've only been doing this a couple days, but what I like to do is use these fingers _here_ to rub the lips _here,"_ Yellow said, using her hand to show him. "Also, slowly circle your thumb around this part here, while using your middle finger to just _gently_ stroke the opening."

"You definitely have the easier job," Ash muttered, though the complaint was mostly out of reflex, a way to ground himself and keep himself from freaking out.

"Okay, you're doing good," Yellow murmured, her eyes closing again. She kept working her hand over Ash's shaft, pumping it with vigor.

Ash closed his eyes too and tried to concentrate on what he was doing, but the feel of Yellow's hand on his sex was really, _really_ distracting, as was the uneasy feeling in his gut. This felt…well, it felt good for one, but also kind of awkward, and sort of wrong. Yellow wasn't his real sister, of course, and they hadn't really been close for a couple years, but he had still known her since they were in diapers.

Besides, he also couldn't help but feel a little disloyal. Misty had wanted to be the one to do this. Sure, she had later disavowed any claim on him, but she had been upset at the time. What if this only hurt her more?

"Okay," Yellow whispered. "N-Now take your fingers and sort of swirl them around in a circle." She used her hand to show him, pressing his three fingers in the middle against the slick, fleshy folds of her vagina and moving them around like he was finger-painting.

"Like-" Boy, Ash's mouth was dry! He swallowed, moistened his tongue, and said, "Like this?"

"Yeah. Like that."

Ash nodded and did as he was told.

Through the wall, he could still hear the cries of pleasure from Misty and May's liaisons. Misty was moaning loudly while he couldn't hear May at all. However, he did hear what sounded like someone slurping up melting ice-cream.

 _May's probably eating her out,_ Ash realized. Just that image was enough to make his cock clench and twitch in Yellow's hand.

Well, okay. Yellow had already said that she was probably going to imagine that he was May, so there ought to be no harm in indulging in a little fantasy of his own.

As Yellow stroked his sex and he kneaded hers, Ash let his mind slip away from the awkwardness, anxiety, and guilt to conjure up the image of him and Misty, sitting together on a tropical beach, watching the rhythmic swelling and crashing of the waves. They were both naked, having just emerged from the water and letting the sun dry their bodies.

With the relaxed casualness of having pleasured each other dozens of times, Misty had reached over to grip Ash's member and was idly stroking it in smooth, almost lazy motions, and he was doing the same for her, his fingers sinking into her nubile pussy and swirling it around, her warm arousal seeping through his fingers.

There is no awkwardness in what they were doing, no shame or embarrassment. Just two adventurous children enjoying a moment of peace and companionship, each taking comfort and pleasure from the other's company. Maybe later they would try something a little more bold and passionate, such as making love in the surf or hungrily burying their faces in each other's sexes, but for now there was no hurry, no need to rush to completion. Right now this was all that they needed, just the feel of each other's touch and the sense of their presence, letting the warmth rise and rise until-

Yellow suddenly cried out, breaking Ash's fantasy, her vaginal lips trembling hard. A moment later his palm was flooded with more warm fluid.

Ash didn't have time to really grasp what he had just done, because though Yellow did pitch forward a bit and let out a small cry as she orgasmed, her hand didn't stop moving. If anything, she pumped ever harder and with more urgency, turning the smoldering fire into an outright blaze.

And then it happened. The pleasure flared up and shot out. His hand still gripping Yellow's sex, Ash arched his back against the wall, threw his head better, and grunted as the fire washed over him. His hips bucked against Yellow's hand, as if begging her to clench tighter and squeeze every last bit of arousal out of him.

Then it passed for both of them, and they slumped against each other with twin sighs of satisfaction.

"Well," Yellow said. "Now we know." She released Ash's softening penis and wiped her palm against her thigh.

Ash wearily lifted his trembling arm and looked. His palm was glistening with Yellow's release, with a few sticky strands stretching between his fingers.

"Y-Yeah," he said, rubbing his fingers together. He felt weirdly numb, as if he ought to be freaking out about what he had just done and who he had done it with, but had forgotten how to freak out properly. "So…uh, was it…um, was I any good?"

"Oh, it was fun!" Yellow said.

"Er, thanks."

There was a pause, then Yellow added, "Well, actually, it was also super awkward. Let's not do it again!"

"Oh, thank goodness," Ash breathed as he let his hand drop.

"Really weird for you too?"

"Incredibly."

"Glad we got it out of our systems, and never speak of it ever again?"

"Absolutely."

The two wearily picked themselves up from the ground. Yellow headed over to the cubby where their cleaned clothes were supposedly waiting for them while Ash went over to the sinks.

His hand was sticky, after all.

He ran the hot water, pumped some soap into his clean hand, and was about to wash them both clean, but then paused.

He stared down at the glistening strands on his fingers. _I have Yellow's arousal on my hands,_ he thought. _I just…did_ that _with Yellow. Oh my God. If Mom ever finds out…_

Actually, she would probably be proud of him? Mom could be really weird in that way.

Regardless though, the full weight was starting to settle in. Shivering, he rubbed his hands together, making sure to lather them up real well, and stuck them under the faucet, dousing them with hot water.

Ash made real sure to clean his hands as thoroughly as possible, followed by his forearms, all the way up to the elbow. Some droplets might have shot further than his fingers, and it wouldn't to let any stay…

Then he felt a pair of skinny arms wrap around him from behind, followed by Yellow's tiny body pressing into his back.

"Hey," she said. "It's okay. I know it was weird and all, but that doesn't mean it has to affect anything."

Ash slowly breathed out. "I know," he said. "It's just…you know, you and me…I never thought we would ever, um, do _anything_ like that."

"Me neither. But hey! At least we know for sure that it would never work between us!"

Ash laughed a little. "Yeah, that's for sure."

"Still friends?"

Ash wiggled around in her embrace to hug her back. "Yeah. Still friends."

The two headed back over to the cubbies. Yellow only had her panties on, so she pulled out her shirt and pulled it down over her head while Ash slipped his boxers on.

Seeing Yellow gather up her pants and tunic under her arm instead of putting them on, Ash frowned. "You're not getting dressed all the way?"

"Nah," Yellow said with a cavernous yawn. "I'm gonna go take a nap. Sleepy."

"You sure? I mean, we still haven't eaten since breakfast, so we could go grab some lunch or…" The rest of Ash's sentence was swallowed up with a giant yawn of his own. "Okay," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes with his wrist. "Fine. A nap sounds _great."_

Taking a cue from Yellow, Ash just pulled his shirt on and rolled up the rest of his clothes under his arm. Then the two headed out into the main room.

Misty and May were still doing…whatever in the other bathroom, so the only other being in the room was Chuey, who was curled up on one of the sleeping mats. As they entered, it looked up, shot them a look of disappointment, sighed, and curled up again.

"Oh, don't give me that look," Yellow said, sitting down next to it and rubbing its head. "I'm a big girl. I can do what I want!"

 _Big girl? According to what metric?_ Shaking his head, Ash dumped his unused clothes on top of his backpack and walked over to collapse onto one of the sleeping mats.

Just as he started to get comfortable, he heard a shuffling sound. Looking over, he saw Yellow pulling her mat up against his.

"Uh…what?"

Yellow plopped down next to him. "Do you mind?"

Ash frowned. "I thought we agreed that you and I wouldn't work?"

"We don't! But we're still friends, so snuggies should be okay! Besides, you're warm."

Ash sighed, but he couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, fine. Snuggies are okay."

Giggling, Yellow nuzzled up against his side, and he draped an arm around her. _So this is what it feels like to go to bed with a girl,_ Ash noted. The only other time had been that one time he and May had shared, and that had some boundaries. To tell the truth, his and Yellow's mutual masturbation session still kind of weirded him out, but this was nice.

Holding her tiny, warm body to his, Ash's eyes drooped shut, and he soon was fast asleep.

…

Now freshly showered, their clothes cleaned, and feeling utterly refreshed, Misty and May exited the bathroom together.

Misty felt like she was walking on gently wafting clouds through a warm spring afternoon. True, her nether regions were now very sore and her legs wobbly, but it was like she had unrolled an entire Golem off her back. Now she felt younger, lighter, and happier than she had in a _very_ long time.

The two stepped into the hotel room. And then they looked down at the sleeping mats.

They both couldn't help but smile.

"Well now," May said. "That's stinking adorable."

Ash and Yellow had pushed two of the mats together and were curled up together, dead asleep, neither of them lasting long enough to even get under the covers. Ash was sprawled out in the center of the mat, his limbs splayed out in all directions like a particularly sloppy Staryu, while Yellow was curled up at his side, leaning into him with her head resting on his arm, with one of her arms laying on Ash's chest.

Misty had to agree with May. She still wasn't a hundred percent comfortable with Yellow. Sure, Yellow had apologized and made up with Ash, and okay, she had helped save the two of them, along with all those other PokeGirls, but the girl was just so…odd, and not quite in a fun way like May.

But she could not deny that she and Ash looked so very cute like that.

"So…" Misty whispered. "Should we…Uh, May?"

May was pulling the blanket off of another mat. "This is not an opportunity one lets slip by," she whispered back as she crawled onto Ash and Yellow's mats. She laid down right next to Yellow, spooning the smaller girl's body with her own while pulling the blanket over the three of them.

May sighed, but she did see May's point. It did look incredibly comfortable.

Oh, all right.

She slipped her suspenders off and pushed her shorts down. Then, clad only in her shirt and panties, she got up onto the bed on the other side and slipped under the blanket May had brought. Squirming in, she moved in close to the other side of Ash from Yellow, laying her head on his arm and turning into him as well.

Ash mumbled something in his sleep. Then his arm moved in response to her presence, curling around her back and moving her in.

Sighing, Misty closed her eyes. It was just as comfortable as she had hoped, and now in the darkened room, snuggled under a warm blanket with her loved ones, far from the dark trees filled with bugs and the problems of the world, she could finally let herself relax a little.

Seconds later all four of them were fast asleep.

…

Over in the Pewter City PokeCenter, Nurse Kristine Joy was hard at work.

Sitting in one of the Healing Machine's receptacles was the pokeball containing Ash Ketchum's Tangela, which was currently being scanned bit by bit. It was well and good that they were dealing with a pure grass type, as those tended to have memories and brain functions spread throughout their bodies, making retrieving them easier.

However, the memories she was picking up were both disturbing and also hard to parse.

Most of the recent memories were a confusing blur of sound and noise, which meant that that one girl's less-than-tactful description of the Tangela being "coocoo" was admittedly correct. From the look of things, it had mainly been acting on some deeply ingrained behavioral conditioning, performing actions that it had been forced to do over and over again.

And it wasn't hard to figure out why.

Every now and then the haze of nonsense on the screen would clear up, and Nurse Joy would catch a crystal clear glimpse of something horrible. It appeared to be a laboratory of some kind, but one unlike the one they had at the PokeCenter, or any of those used by Pokemon Professors. This one was darker, larger, and nastier, with elongated angles and sharp implements of unknown purpose. Occasionally she would see hideous caricatures of human beings in lab coats or suits, though she strongly suspected that this was how the Tangela remembered them as rather than how they actually looked.

Not that it made it much better.

It was still difficult to who had done this to it and why, but she was starting to get a good idea. One memory had what looked like several large glass tubes filled with some kind of glowing green fluid, and floating in each tube was a naked woman.

 _PokeGirls,_ Nurse Joy thought with a shiver. _That's what the Tangela was doing. It was a retriever. It was trained to hunt and kidnap PokeGirls for its master._

After it had escaped, it must have just kept right on doing that, as it didn't know how to do anything else.

But why? Who was doing this? What did they want all those PokeGirls for? And how did the Tangela escape in the first place?

"So, how goes it?" said Intern Kimberly Joy, Nurse Joy's younger cousin and current protégé, as she approached with a cup of steaming cinnamon tea for her mentor. "Find out what made this bush apparently so crazy?"

"I…think so," Nurse Joy murmured as she guided the scan with a few keystrokes. "It's clear that this poor guy was used by an illegal lab of some kind, but who or why doesn't seem to be in here."

Brushing a stray lock of hair from her face, Intern Joy leaned in over Nurse Joy's shoulder to frown at the readout. "I really hope we didn't stumble on something that'll get us in trouble. The last thing we need is…Whoa, what's that?"

"Hmmm?"

Archived memories were stored in the upper left-hand corner of the screen for easy access. Intern Joy tapped one and brought it back up. It was another from the viewpoint from inside a cage. The Tangela was staring through the bars at a cluster of men and women in lab coats. All of them were facing a large screen and had their backs to the Tangela, so their faces weren't visible.

Intern Joy pointed to the screen, which was filled with a bunch of strange equations and notes. "Look, right behind that guy's head. There's a picture of…some kind of cat thing."

There was indeed, but if it was a Pokemon, it was unlike any Nurse Joy had ever seen. "Well, that is odd," she remarked.

"Cycle through the others. See if it comes up again."

"That's what I've been doing," Nurse Joy said as she resumed the scan. "But so far it hasn't…wait."

Finally they came across a memory snippet that had someone clearly in the frame so that their features were fully visible. It was a woman, one with blonde hair so long that it reached past her knees and heavy bangs, behind which pale green eyes could be seen. She was wearing a white dress with white leggings and gold tint around the skirt, with a large green gem set over her sternum. While lovely, there was a cruelty in her look that made Nurse Joy's skin crawl.

What was more, on her waist was embroidered a stylized red R.

And with that, Nurse Joy's worst fears were confirmed. She exchanged a look with Intern Joy, who looked similarly troubled.

"Call the police," Nurse Joy said. Intern Joy nodded and hurried off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, the cuddle pile. Truly the most underappreciated aspect of being a harem protagonist.
> 
> Okay, so it should now be pretty obvious that I like doing really long chapters. However, I also know that doesn't meant people like to read them. So, after the whole Brock business is done with, would it be preferable if I start breaking these up? Granted, they'll still be written as large chapters and broken up later, so it'll still take the same amount of time for them to be completed, the only difference is that when they're done, they'll probably be released over a period of like three weeks or so instead of one big chunk. Or would you prefer to stick with the big chapters, since those are how they're plotted and paced to be published as? Note that if I do start breaking these up, I can't guarantee anything spicy in every chapter anymore.
> 
> Also, I finally completed the first Girl's Hunter rom hack! And, uh, let me just say, no matter how dark this story will get at times, that is nothing compared to the source material. And by that I mean forced amputations, cannibalism, permanent mummification, and being impregnated with a Ditto. Ahahaha, what the fuck?
> 
> However, I was amused that while it went to places I refuse to go, it also refused to go to places that I go. "Oh, sure, you'll be engaging in sexual slavery with a whole bunch of fucked up shit coming into play later, but at least you can't catch underaged PokeGirls!" Everyone's gotta have their own standards, I guess.
> 
> That being said, I obviously enjoyed it, else I wouldn't have written this huge-ass story because of it. Though I'm still sorting out what aspects from it I'll be incorporating. In the game, PokeGirls actually hold onto their Pokemon teams and can still use them (though this only happens in cutscenes), and I'm pretty sure I won't be using that, since it just raises so many weird questions and logistics problems. However, while I was originally going to discard all that stuff about the Goddess, now I'm thinking I'll give it more thought, as it might be handy for some other worldbuilding.
> 
> I'm not doing the PokeMorphs though. You wanna fuck Pokemon, that's your business, but this is my smut story!


End file.
